Until the End
by Mr. Clark
Summary: China and Japan join in a military pact to invade Siberia, and America decides to intervene. A war breaks out that quickly spirals out of control. (Complete)
1. Until the End Prologue

Until the End Prologue  
  
The jingle of a set of keys echoed down the hallways, reverberating through all the cells. The sound continued as it grew closer and closer, moving further down the hallway towards the cells. Finally it stopped, just outside one of the cells. A few orders were barked out in Chinese and the medal door was opened. Inside the cell was a man. He had the tattered uniform of that of an American navy service man. The man was crouched in the corner of the room, his body hunched over. He was thin, already showing the signs of being cadaverous, and his eyes seemed to almost be sinking into his head. Two of the Chinese guards walked in and holstered him to his feet, as the man had little to no energy to stand and walk, and he was taken from his cell, dragged down the hallway.  
  
In the cell opposite to the man that had just been taken, the occupant briefly looked out of the small sliding hatch built into the door that contained him in the room. He shook his head sorrowfully as he watched the man being dragged off, and turned around, using the wall as support. He barely made it to his bed before he collapsed from exhaustion.  
  
The man was in the same physical condition as all the men being held in the cells. His body was thin, and he looked to be cadaverous. His arms, which used to be well-muscled, were thin and brittle, and the skin had become slack over years without use. He was wearing a tanker's uniform, complete to the large tanker's boots, and the insignia of a tank battalion was on the lapels of his tunic. Setting him apart from the other men being held in the prison was the dirty yellow and black bandanna tied over his forehead.  
  
The man had been in the same cell for four years. As most prisoners- of-war, he had to endure regular thrashings from the men that held him and the others. Four years was a long time, especially when you are contained in one room for ninety-percent of the time.  
  
"Four years," the man said softly. He looked over at the wall that his bed was positioned against. He slowly made a small notch at the bottom of a long row of notches.  
  
A loud scream came down the hallway, one filled with pain and torture. The man in the cell shivered uncontrollably and reached up to cover his ears with his hands.  
  
A small part of his mind told him that eventually someone would come to rescue him, but another part of his mind told him that he was just dreaming. It had been four years and still nothing had happened. Hope was eternal, and he would always hope that someone would come to rescue him, and it just might happen. But the cruel reality of things was that none of the men here were actually supposed to be alive. After the startling discovery by the Chinese infantry platoon that some of the men they had brutally murdered were alive, they quickly had the survivors shipped off to a medical hospital. It was there that they had been informed that the Americans thought that everyone had perished, and that China would not acknowledge they had them.  
  
As exhaustion slowly overtook the man, his mouth slowly worked out the name of someone. Whatever the name was, a smile lit up the man's face after he said it.  
  
===============  
  
The courtyard was filled with them. Row upon row of the stone slabs, ranging in size. There were far too many to count, as the number would surely depress whoever decided to count them.  
  
Akari Unryuu walked along the singular path that led down the center of the grave stones. Alongside her, she clutched the hand of a small boy. She was wearing a skirt despite the cool air that nipped at her legs. The boy wore a thick jacket, making him appear to be twice his size.  
  
She turned left once they had reached the second last row of graves, and led the child to an exquisite gravestone. The gravestone was in better condition than most, as it appeared to be cleaned regularly. She stopped and released the child's hand. Bowing her head once, she reached over to the flask of water beside the gravestone, and poured water onto the grave using a ladle.  
  
The child mimicked Akari's actions, and splashed water on the gravestone. Once he put the ladle back he turned to Akari.  
  
"Why are we here momma?" he asked.  
  
Akari smiled at the child.  
  
"This is your father's grave, Ryoga," Akari said gently.  
  
Ryoga turned in surprise and looked more intently at the gravestone.  
  
"Hey! It has my name!"  
  
Akari crouched down and rubbed Ryoga's head.  
  
"I named you after your father," Akari told him. "He was a very good man."  
  
"What was he like?" Ryoga asked, his interest sparked.  
  
Akari picked the child up and cradled him in her arms. "Well, I'll tell you but first we have to get out of the cold. I don't want you to catch a cold."  
  
"Okay, but don't you forget," the child warned her.  
  
Akari laughed and carried the child out of the cemetery and into the waiting car.  
  
"Back to the Dojo, Ms. Unryuu?" the driver asked.  
  
"Yes," Akari answered and set her child down on the seat next to hers. "And call me Akari; I don't want people thinking I'm stuck up.  
  
The driver chuckled. "Yes ma'am."  
  
The drive was short, as it was still early morning and there were not many cars out on the streets. Once they arrived at the gates to the Saotome Dojo, Akari dismissed the driver, giving him the day off.  
  
Akari unlocked the front door and quickly shut the door, less the cold air get inside. She walked into the house, checking the living room to see if anyone was up. Seeing no one, Akari set Ryoga on the floor and stepped back out into the hall, just in time to see a small girl come thumping down the stairs wearing a pajama top and bottom.  
  
"Well hello there Kagome, did we wake you up?" Akari asked as she picked the small girl up and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"No," the girl shook her head. "But mommy and daddy wouldn't wake up, even though I jumped in their bed."  
  
Akari laughed and set her down on the ground.  
  
"Well, while we wait for those two lazy parents to wake up why don't we go into the living room, I'll get breakfast started."  
  
"Okay," both children echoed and ran to the living room.  
  
Akari entered the kitchen and looked around. She filled the tea kettle with water and set it on the stove. Next, she moved to the fridge and found that it was empty. Akari shook her head.  
  
"Looks like somebody forgot to go shopping," Akari said to herself. She made the mental note to order some breakfast once Ranma and Akane woke up. She didn't want to have the two wake up and find out that she had forgotten to go shopping again.  
  
Akari walked out into the hall and back into the living room. Ryoga and Kagome were entertaining themselves with some popcorn that had been left out.  
  
"Don't play with food you guys," Akari chided softly as Ryoga threw another piece of popcorn into Kagome's mouth.  
  
Akari sat down on the floor and pulled the two children nearer.  
  
"Okay, what would you guys rather hear about," Akari began. "Would you rather hear a story about Uncle Ranma, or would you rather I tell you about Ryoga's father?"  
  
"Tell us about Ryoga's father," Kagome said.  
  
"Okay, but the story about your father is very funny," Akari said to Kagome.  
  
"Everyone always talks about my dad; I want to hear about Ryoga's dad."  
  
Akari nodded and took a deep breath.  
  
"Well, Ryoga's father was a very kind man. He always took care of his friends, and never did anything to hurt them. He was also a very strong man; in fact, he is probably the only man to actually almost beat Ranma in an all-out fight."  
  
Both children seemed surprised at this. They were both training as students under the Anything-Goes style of Martial Arts and had seen Ranma in action.  
  
"How did he die?" Kagome asked.  
  
There was a sharp pain in Akari's chest. She fought hard to keep any kind of hurt from her voice.  
  
"This happened before either of you were alive, okay, so don't worry if none of this rings any bells," Akari said. "Before you two were born, there was a very short war between America and China. Do you two know what a war is?" Akari asked. Both children shook their heads. "Okay, well, a war is when two countries decide they don't like each other very much, and instead of trying to work out their differences with words, they do it with fighting."  
  
"Before that war started, a man that was close to both Ryoga's father and Ranma had died while they were in China, and the Chinese government would not give the body back."  
  
"Why?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Well, the Chinese government thought that the man was a kind of terrorist-"  
  
"Like the one's that attacked America?" Kagome asked, interrupting Akari.  
  
"Well, that's what the Chinese government thought, but the man wasn't, and they were being very stubborn, so Ryoga's father and Ranma decided to go get the man's body themselves. But, all access to China had been cut off because of the war, so they decided to cross the distance with Uncle Phillip."  
  
Both children giggled at the mention of Phillip.  
  
"Well, Uncle Phillip was being sent to China because the Americans wanted to put some soldiers onto Chinese soil, and Ryoga's father and Ranma joined them and crossed over to China. It seemed that everything was going well until Uncle Phillip's troops ran into the Chinese. There was a big battle and finally the American troops had to retreat. Ryoga's father's tank stayed behind to destroy the Chinese tanks and he ended up getting hit. Before his tank could explode, Ranma pulled Ryoga's father from the tank and saved his life. But the Chinese troops found them and took them prisoner."  
  
"Ryoga's father was very hurt at this time and he could not escape on his own and Ranma didn't want to leave him alone. After a week of being held captive, the Chinese troops got word that Uncle Phillip's troops were headed straight for them. They decided to get rid of all the prisoners so they took half of them behind the prison they had set up and killed them. Ranma tried to save your father but he was too late."  
  
Akari tried desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to escape her eyes but she couldn't stop.  
  
"Today is the anniversary of your father's death."  
  
Ryoga and Kagome looked at each other for a moment before climbing on Akari and hugging her.  
  
"It's okay momma," Ryoga said. "I don't need to know about my dad anymore."  
  
Akari smiled at him and hugged Ryoga and Kagome to her.  
  
The tea kettle began to squeal.  
  
"I'll go get us some tea," Akari said as she set the children down on the floor. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she moved into the kitchen. Akari removed the kettle from the stove and grabbed some cups from a nearby cupboard. As she searched for a tray, Akane came into the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning," Akari greeted.  
  
"Morning," Akane replied. "What are you doing up so early?"  
  
Akari's smile faltered a little.  
  
"Ryoga woke up early today and I decided to take him over to the cemetery to visit his father's grave."  
  
Akane nodded silently and rubbed Akari's shoulder sympathetically.  
  
"It's been four years Akari," Akane said. "You have to let go."  
  
"I know," Akari replied. She seemed to shake herself from her revere. "I forgot to go shopping."  
  
"That's okay, I'll just order some breakfast," Akane said simply.  
  
Akari smiled at her and moved back into the living room. She set the tray down and handed the two children a drink.  
  
"Once you two finish that why don't you go see if you can wake up Ranma," Akari said.  
  
Kagome and Ryoga gulped down their tea and raced out of the room and upstairs.  
  
Akari sipped at her tea as Akane came in.  
  
"Breakfast should be here in about twenty minutes," Akane said.  
  
Akari nodded absentmindedly and continued to stare at the table. Akane leaned across the table and took Akari's hand in hers.  
  
"I'm sorry for what I said in the kitchen Akari," Akane said truthfully. "I know what Ryoga meant to you."  
  
"No," Akari shook her head. "Your right Akane, it has been four years and I still can't forget him."  
  
"No one can forget him, he meant a lot to all of us," Akane said. "I know that I still think about him every day, and I'm sure Ranma's even worse."  
  
Akari nodded her head sadly. "Maybe it is time for me to look for someone else."  
  
Akane smiled. "That's the spirit. I'm sure Ranma's been holding a bunch of guys back that want to date you."  
  
Akari smiled sheepishly as Ranma came walking into the room. He had Ryoga and Kagome tucked underneath each of his arms.  
  
"Well hello there ladies," Ranma said smiling. "I suppose neither of you have happened to see two little children have you?"  
  
"I told you daddy, were right here," Kagome said as she giggled.  
  
Ranma looked down at the little bundles in his arms with a shocked expression on his face.  
  
"Why there you two are," Ranma said as if he had just noticed them. "Now how did you get there?"  
  
"You grabbed us after we woke you up," Ryoga said, laughing.  
  
"Did I?" Ranma asked. "Well, why didn't you speak up?"  
  
"We did!" both children chorused.  
  
"Alright then," Ranma said, setting them onto the ground. "How about we go make ourselves some breakfast then?"  
  
"I ordered breakfast just a few minutes ago," Akane said, smiling grandly at the way Ranma interacted with the children.  
  
"Well then, I guess we can just go and have a little match in the Dojo then," Ranma said to the children.  
  
"Alright," the two children said and raced out of the room with Ranma close behind.  
  
"Don't you let them fight in those clothes!" Akane called after them.  
  
"Training compels me to!" Ranma shouted back, laughing as he left the house.  
  
Akane huffed and sat back down at the table; she shook her head and laughed.  
  
"God, he's just like them," Akane laughed.  
  
Akari allowed herself to laugh as well. "He really is good with them." Akane nodded her head and Akari continued. "He's become like a father to Ryoga."  
  
"He really has tried to Akari, he loves Ryoga, just as much as he loves you," Akane explained.  
  
"Thank you Akane," Akari said shyly.  
  
"It's nothing Akari, and I want you to know that if anything ever happened to me and Ranma, I would want you to take care of Kagome."  
  
Akari smiled again. Before she could reply the front doorbell rang.  
  
"There's breakfast," Akane announced as she got to her feet and walked out of the room and down the hall.  
  
Akari remained seated for a moment. She bowed her head and made a small prayer.  
  
I'm sorry Ryoga, I hope you can forgive me, but I'm going to try and find someone else.  
  
===============  
  
Parker's arrival at his house was slightly dampened by the fact that Toni had made it home before him. That meant it would be salad for dinner tonight.  
  
But Parker had something much larger on his mind. He had spent the entire day waiting impatiently for any reports on the prisoners in China, and had spent long hours reading over the thick file he had already been sent. Finally, at four o'clock, Parker had had enough and left the office and driven home. Now he had to think about what he would tell Ranma and Akane, much more, Akari.  
  
"Well hello," Toni said as Phillip walked into the kitchen. "I made us an extra special supper tonight."  
  
When she noticed that Phillip's face was twisted in deep thought, Toni asked him what was wrong.  
  
"I received a report today from my father," Parker said. He sat down at the kitchen table and sighed. "The document outlined some of the facts that, during the Pacific War, the prisoners that China obtained were not all recaptured when we swept in."  
  
"What does that mean?" Toni asked.  
  
"It means that there is a very small chance that, among the seventeen prisoners that are reported to have survived, Ryoga may still be alive," Parker said.  
  
"How reliable is the source?" Toni asked.  
  
Parker looked at his wife for a moment. It is often said that the hardest part about working in the intelligence business was keeping the vast information you see each day a secret. Parker had already found that he could not keep any information from his wife, as he often sought out her opinion on things.  
  
"It was rated the highest it can be, and there should be more information soon."  
  
Toni sat by his side for a moment. Finally she got to her feet and grabbed the phone from a nearby table. She set it down in front of Phillip. He looked at her in confusion.  
  
"They need to know this Phil," Toni said gently.  
  
"I know," Parker said a near whisper. He reached out and grabbed the phone. He dialed a number from memory.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma set Ryoga down beside Kagome at the table and looked at the take-out food in front of him. He turned to Akari. A smile lit up his face.  
  
"I take it someone forgot to go shopping again," he lightly teased.  
  
"I had something on my mind," Akari said quietly. "Today's the anniversary of his death."  
  
Ranma shifted uncomfortably. "It's okay, I was only joking Akari."  
  
The phone began ringing and Ranma quickly got up to answer it.  
  
"Hello?" There followed a pause as the caller identified himself. "Phil! God, it's been at least a month since you last called."  
  
Ranma laughed a little and then waited for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was very grave.  
  
"What does this mean?" Ranma asked. Another pause followed.  
  
The receiver fell from Ranma's hands and clattered to the table. His hands shook as he reached out to the wall for support. Ranma's mind was spinning and he suddenly felt very tired.  
  
Numbly, he reached down and picked up the receiver.  
  
"Thanks Phil," Ranma said. "Don't worry, I-I'll tell her about it."  
  
He set the receiver into its cradle and walked back into the dining room. Akane asked him who had called but Ranma didn't respond, he merely stared at Akari.  
  
Finally, Ranma found his voice.  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Here it is, the first chapter of Until the End. I really hope you all like it, as it may take me a little longer to churn out the next chapter, as I'm receiving change of station orders tomorrow and I'm not too sure where I'm going, but I do have a good idea. If what I'm thinking is true, than you can definitely expect my wife to be writing the next chapter, and probably most of the others after that.  
  
I'd really like to hear what everyone thinks of this story so far, so I encourage everyone to write a review or e-mail me with their opinions.  
  
Also, for those that have just read this and gone HUH?, well, this is the sequel to a story I had previously written. You can look for it on this site. It's called, "Balance of Power". 


	2. Until the End Chapter 1

Until the End Chapter 1 Trouble in China  
  
The Emperor of Japan was not the title of the most powerful man in Japan. The Prime Minister was now the most powerful man, as Japan had, over a long period of time, switched from the Imperial type of government and moved to the democratic side of politics. But that's not to say the Emperor did not have an important job. He still commanded much power, though you did not see it manifested in the political realm. The Emperor was a figure of Japanese history.  
  
The word "emperor" is not an accurate description of the historical and constitutional role of the Japanese monarch. Unlike the Chinese and Mongol emperors, the Russian tsars, and the Byzantine emperors, the Japanese emperors have rarely exercised political power or commanded armies in the field.  
  
Kaizo Rimiru, the presiding emperor of Japan, smiled as he watched the small children run around the garden outside the imperial palace. His wife, wearing a silk kimono, walked alongside him as they crossed over the century old moat, which still contained water.  
  
The emperor silently brooded with his thoughts as he and his wife walked into the palace. Security guards opened the doors and let him and his wife pass, they did not enter the palace.  
  
He was one of the few people in Japan that actually knew of the crisis facing his country. In the post-World War II era, Japan had been steadily moving towards the right in the political spectrum. But half a century of buying natural resources from other countries and turning them into products before selling them back to countries had left the yen being almost as worthless as the Brazilian dollar. The government had tried to support the industries and because of that the government had nearly gone bankrupt.  
  
Japan had no money left, and there was nothing they could do to make more money, which left the country little to no chances to become a prosperous country again.  
  
Another problem happening in Japan was the fact that they had gone through more governments in the past fifty years than any other modernized country in the world. This did not make the citizens of the country very happy, or very trusting of the government that had just been elected to power.  
  
The new Prime Minister, Jiro Shizuko, had been making speeches to the country, and what he said made the emperor very nervous.  
  
Shizuko had made the declaration that he would move Japan into its rightful place in the world. Japan, he said, had been betrayed by Western democracy, and had been betrayed by the West, as they had left Japan all on it's own once it began to become less profitable.  
  
Shizuko's words were not simply political rhetoric; he actually meant what he was saying. He wanted to make Japan a powerful nation as it once was, and he would do whatever it took to do so.  
  
He had met with the new Prime Minister the other day and his mind was still reeling from the ramifications of the Prime Minister's words. His meeting with the man had been in private, the first such meeting he had been able to have with the Prime Minister. Every other time they had met, aides and other political fools were hovering around.  
  
"What is it you seek in your time as Prime Minister?" he had asked.  
  
"Your Excellency, I seek to restore the glory that Japan rightly deserves. Too long have we been slaves to other countries, we must become dependant on no one but ourselves."  
  
"I understand that our country is facing hard times sir, but just because we must depend on other countries does not mean our country is weak," the emperor stated. "Japan is a country that is controlled by our honor, and our people, not by things like power and greed."  
  
Shizuko was surprised to hear the emperor speak in such a manner. Having a private conversation with the emperor was a very grand thing, and he had not expected the emperor to speak in such a manner.  
  
The emperor continued, "Your speeches have made you seem as if you are ready to go to war. You must understand that you alone make the decisions for this country, and that you alone hold the outcome for our people."  
  
Shizuko's anger flared. "You were born to your position, what do you know of responsibility?"  
  
The emperor did not speak for a moment. "I know enough that I would never make such foolish promises and declarations to the Japanese people. For centuries, the greatest resource of Japan has not been its technology, it has been our people. We are an honorable society Jiro, and you are throwing that away when you speak of Japan in such a way."  
  
"You are ruled by your beliefs Your Excellency, and I cannot allow myself to follow you in that respect. We are a small island-nation, placed by the gods beside a growing Chinese giant, and we must do what we have to do."  
  
"And what is it you seek to do?" the emperor asked.  
  
"I will be signing a pact with China in one week's time. Included within will be the agreement to cooperate with the country in any of its military ventures."  
  
The emperor did not speak.  
  
"China is running out of money as well Your Excellency, and they seek the same things we do. Natural resources, and sitting to their north is the largest untapped section of land in this known world."  
  
Finally the emperor found his voice.  
  
"China is thinking of invading Siberia?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"We have received a humanitarian plea from the people of Siberia, they wish to shake off the shackles of a failing Russian economy and attach themselves to a new nation, one powerful enough to actually keep its promises to its people."  
  
The emperor shook his head. This man sitting in front of him was mad.  
  
"Russia has nuclear weapons, if we were to invade, they would not hesitate to use them. I am old enough to remember what happened to our country before."  
  
"Russia is not the only country with nuclear weapons Your Excellency," Shizuko said simply.  
  
The emperor's face went white. "Japan has nuclear weapons?"  
  
The Prime Minister nodded. "We have been secretly developing them for quite awhile, all under a security blanket that would make Joseph Stalin himself proud."  
  
"Shizuko," the emperor started, using the Prime Minister's name. "You have not thought things through. America will not allow us to join together with China, and I might remind you that they are the most powerful nation in the world."  
  
"America," Shizuko said, "Has withdrawn from our country, leaving behind only a few military installations that can easily be destroyed."  
  
"Attacking America will only make things worse for us," the emperor said, now realizing that the man sitting before him was insane. "The Chinese tried to attack them a few years ago and look what happened to them. They are now facing economic ruin, and the man running their country has become intensely paranoid, almost to the point of Joseph Stalin."  
  
"China is a powerful nation, one worthy enough of our friendship," Shizuko said.  
  
The emperor shook his head again, trying to clear his mind. Finally, he looked up at Shizuko.  
  
"I received a letter from the President of the United States two days ago," the emperor said. "In it, he told me of his concerns that Japan might be considering a merge with the Chinese and that we would together invade Russia. I have not responded to his letter, as I was astonished that the President would think that Japan would do such things."  
  
"My grandfather received a letter from the President of the United States as well. That was the day before World War II. I am now very much wrapped up in the thought that there are far too many similarities between the two things."  
  
Struggling to retain his calm, Shizuko bowed his head once, and held the position for five seconds.  
  
The emperor could not take anymore, and returned the bow and left the room, staggering. The Prime Minister of Japan was insane, and he intended to sign a pact with China and invade Russia.  
  
That had been two days ago.  
  
Japan was now heading in a direction that could only end in disaster.  
  
The emperor decided that it was time to respond to the President of the United State's letter.  
  
===============  
  
Mai Zhisheng, the Premier of China, rose early on the morning of December 6.  
  
Unlike the Japanese emperor, Premier Zhisheng carried all the power of his country. He was the communist leader of his country, and had been for almost half a decade.  
  
Premier Zhisheng was a very well educated man; he had attended university in Beijing before entering the political realm. He had first entered State Security, and had done well, carrying out his duties to the exact and always willing to obey the men that sat on the Politburo.  
  
He had long harbored a desire to become one of those men that ruled the country with their iron wills and powerful minds. It was not until after becoming one of the men on the Politburo that Zhisheng learned of the truth behind the Politburo.  
  
The men that sat on the board were old, corrupted men. They were bitter towards the rest of the world and negligent to things that did not concern them. The Politburo was not suited to even run a store, much less a country, and especially not one as powerful as China.  
  
After he received the title of Minister of Defense, Zhisheng had begun attempting to manipulate the men that ran the country. He soon realized that he could quite easily control them and set about moving his long harbored thoughts into action.  
  
The first thing that he had tried to do was to regain Taiwan. This had seemed like an easy thing at the time, but Zhisheng had learned a very good lesson in the way the world works after that.  
  
America had discovered the Politburo's desire to kill the Taiwanese President and had stopped it, killing all the assassins.  
  
Next, America and most of the western world had helped stop China from invading Taiwan, and was successful in creating a complete naval barricade between the two countries. Once the situation had appeared desperate, Zhisheng had gone to the Head of the PLA, Wei Liang, and asked about China's nuclear weapons. This later turned out to be a bad idea, when the Americans and other countries attacked the nuclear missile silos and destroyed China's nuclear capabilities. After that, the final blow had been struck.  
  
American planes attacked and killed all members of the Politburo except Zhisheng and the recently expelled Transportation Minister, Ma Jingshu.  
  
Zhisheng, after learning of the deaths of all other Politburo members, took over the position of Premier, and became the leader of the country. An hour after he had become Premier, he received the news that America had destroyed China's nuclear tipped missiles. Zhisheng took this in stride, as he had other things to think about. He was now faced with the only option of ceasing China's invasion of Taiwan.  
  
That would not stop the Americans from continuing their assault against the Asian country, and Zhisheng knew that. Finally, he had called his deputies and informed them that they were now creating a blockade against America. All diplomatic relations were cut off.  
  
The President of the United States had been far too eager to end a war that the people of America found to be pointless. He ordered the withdrawal of all American troops.  
  
It had been four years since the end of the Pacific War, and Zhisheng knew that his country was once again facing a crisis.  
  
Unlike when the Soviet Union created there own sanctions against America, China did not thrive. Russia had flourished with communism, for quite a long time, until they finally discarded the corrupt system and adopted democracy. The turning point for communism in Russia came when Boris Yeltsin defied the KGB and the junta, by climbing onto a tank in Red Square.  
  
In China, communism had done the same to the country as it had to Russia. The only difference was, the leader of China was not going to give up the communist system, and there was not a single soul in the entire country that would dare to stand up to the man.  
  
Zhisheng brooded with his thoughts as he entered his office. As he took his seat behind his desk, his aide entered the room and delivered the morning briefing. A relatively quite day, as Zhisheng had no meetings scheduled, he would simply be doing paperwork all day.  
  
As the room emptied except for the security personnel that followed him everywhere he went, Premier Zhisheng picked up the first report that needed his attention.  
  
A sigh escaped Zhisheng's throat as he scanned the first document. It was a report on the country's economy, which was abysmal at best. China was running out of money, and they would soon have to turn to other countries for help.  
  
Zhisheng snorted, the only country that would come to the aide of China right now was Japan, and that country was in even poorer condition than China. That thought set Zhisheng's mind in a different direction.  
  
He was supposed to call the Prime Minister of Japan today. If the second part of Zhisheng's plan worked, than China would not have to worry about money for quite awhile.  
  
The only thing Zhisheng could be proud of at the moment was China's military, which was, at the moment, on almost equal ground with America's army. But there was no point in having a military if you had nothing to do with it.  
  
Zhisheng had been quite surprised when the Prime Minister of Japan had called him and asked to speak in private. The meeting had been easy to arrange, and he had met the leader of Japan only two days later. Zhisheng had been equally surprised when the Prime Minister had asked if he would be interested in signing a pact, one that would ensure that if any military action was taken by either country, the other would be as committed as the other.  
  
Japan was nowhere near the world power that China was, but Zhisheng was smart enough to know that the more allies you had, the less number of enemies you had. But what had really made Zhisheng agree to the pact proposed by the Japanese Prime Minister was the small little note he had added to the end of his speech.  
  
"And I understand that all of China's nuclear weapons were destroyed by the American's, so I would like to bring to the table the fact that Japan has seven nuclear warhead tipped missiles already developed and well- hidden from any country."  
  
Zhisheng had started a program to rebuild China's nuclear weapons, but a lack of funds had made the development of the nuclear warheads slow to a crawl. With Japan's nuclear weapons, China could now attack Russia without the fear of nuclear reprisal.  
  
Zhisheng had made the decision to enter Russia as soon as he felt that his military could carry out the feat in the shortest amount of time.  
  
Siberia was the largest untapped area on earth, with the exception of maybe Antarctica, and Zhisheng was determined to make that land China's.  
  
Russia would soon be brought to its knees before the world again.  
  
===============  
  
The Russian President, Vladimir Andropov, arrived at his office well before he heard the news that his National Security Advisor was not going to be in for the entire day. The President brushed that aside, he had greater worries for the moment.  
  
A report passed to him by the American President told him of a very troubling predicament to Russia's southeast. Half the Asian landmass was apparently eyeing the eastern parts of Russia, namely Siberia, as if they contained a secret depot of gold bars. This was not the sort of thing that the President of a country that was only a decade into its new government system wanted to hear.  
  
The fact that the report came from foreign sources and not Russia's own intelligence services slightly worried the Russian President. If America was able to collect these documents, and they were across an entire ocean from the country, than that meant the Chinese and Japanese were not taking much concern in disguising there yearns.  
  
Andropov had complete faith in his country, but he had not risen to the title of President by being foolish. Russia's military was only a shadow of what it had previously been. The morale of troops was so low that they routinely tried to go AWOL, and their officers did not even attempt to go and get them. Soldiers were going unpaid, and Russia was selling the greater number of their weapons to any and all buyers.  
  
Before the Russian government had been forced to start selling some of its more closely held secrets, the American government had stepped in. They agreed to give Russia a generous fee for the disarmament of their nuclear weapons, and the promise not to build any more. The United States had met the Russians missile for missile, and had disarmed more than three quarters of their nuclear warheads. The process of disarming nuclear missiles was very time consuming and very, very, costly. But with the American government supplying the funds, which were more than enough to cover the costs, Russia was able to meet the American guidelines.  
  
President Andropov shook his head slightly. The thought that Russia and America were cooperating was still quite a change to the man that had entered politics when the offence of uttering ill words directed at the state could very well earn you a death sentence.  
  
The Cold War was over. Russia and America were very close now, sharing a relationship almost equal to that of America's northern neighbor. But unfortunately for Russia, this did not solve all of its problems. Greed and corruption were still rampant throughout the country, sometimes to the point of absolute corruption. Foreigners still avoided Russia, as it was regarded throughout the modern world as a crime infested cesspool.  
  
President Andropov quickly realized that if China and Japan did invade Siberia, Russia would not be able to do anything, other than make a big stink about it to the UN. China's military was one of the most advanced in the entire world, and if they were to put at least have the effort they made into trying to take Taiwan into their effort to take Siberia, than the war would be very short.  
  
But Andropov knew that if he were to allow China to take Siberia, he would be committing political suicide. Not only that but he would be giving away the one thing that may be able to help break Russia free from its corruption and greed. Siberia was an explorer's dream, with its largely untapped land and the lack of visitors.  
  
Nobody knew exactly what was in Siberia, in the natural resource sense, but President Andropov was certain that he could not allow it to fall into the Chinese or Japanese hands.  
  
===============  
  
The President of the United States was, at the moment, very tired. He had been awake for almost twenty hours straight, and had been surviving on caffeine, supplied by the coffee that would surely make his stomach reject anything and everything he would attempt to eat the next day.  
  
George Winnfield was not the sort of man that one would expect to hold the title of President of the United States. He had grown up in the town of Baltimore. The son of a policeman, President Winnfield had been greatly exposed to the crime that infested the entire country. Winnfield's past made him relate to the modern man, to the blue collar worker, and Winnfield fought very hard to keep that perception. The President seemed as if he was no different than any of the other people in America, which allowed him an easy career in politics. This did not mean that he simply waltzed through elections (Winnfield had only won the Presidential elections by five percent), but he was able to come off to the average voter as a simple man that would try his best in what he would do.  
  
The true test for President Winnfield had come not even a year after his inauguration. On the early morning of September 11, terrorists had struck his country. The attacks were devastating, killing thousands and wounding more. The response by America had been immediate, before the day was done, American planes, ships, and troops were headed across the Atlantic towards the Middle East.  
  
It had been four months since that day, and American troops were about to extradite the Taliban from power in Afghanistan. While this was great news, especially for the American people, it seemed like an empty victory in the face of everything that had happened.  
  
The terrorists that had initiated these terrible deeds still eluded the American troops and intelligence services. But there were even more problems weighing on the President's mind.  
  
The CIA had dropped the bomb the other day. A courier had dropped the report onto his desk at precisely eight A.M. The Chinese and Japanese were about to sign an agreement, making the two countries dedicated to each other in the event that one of the two countries were attacked or if they attacked another country.  
  
While this was only slightly upsetting to the President, as China and America were still separated from all trade and diplomatic relations, but the real bombshell came on the last page of the document. China and Japan were running low on capital, and they were looking to the north with a hungry look in their eyes.  
  
President Winnfield knew that China and Japan were running very low of money, and he also knew that it was very likely that the situation may erupt into war, but the President had thought that it would be a civil war, not a situation that is likely to escalate to a World War III.  
  
The President of the United States had realized that both countries were too far gone to try and get them to back down. He had toyed with the notion of threatening Japan with sanctions, but he remembered that that was the reason Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor and had discarded the notion. The President did not fear an attack by Japan, but he did not want them to think that they had to get desperate.  
  
He had decided to call the Japanese Prime Minister, but every time he called he was told the Prime Minister was in a meeting. Finally, after trying for almost twelve hours, the President had sent a letter to the Emperor of Japan. Winnfield had felt that this was the right thing to do, despite the words of caution from his National Security Advisor, because the Emperor had always struck the President as an honorable man. He had received acknowledgement that the letter was received, but he had not gotten a response from the Emperor.  
  
The President was at the end of his rope when he finally passed the document outlining the Chinese and Japanese pact and the reason to the President of Russia. President Andropov had called President Winnfield the next day.  
  
"Where did you get this?" President Andropov had asked once the pleasantries were out of the way.  
  
"By our intelligence sources, I'm surprised you have not caught wind of this yourself."  
  
The Russian President had snorted. "We have not had any sources inside China in at least five years. We used to have someone inside the Politburo but he had to retire for health reasons."  
  
That admission had caught President Winnfield off guard. It was very rare that the Russians would admit that the Americans had caught them short on anything, especially intelligence sources.  
  
"What we have to concentrate on now is what we are going to do now that we have this information," Winnfield had said as he leaned back in his chair.  
  
"The first thing on my mind was breaking off all diplomatic relations with the bastards and immediately building up our army once again. But just as soon as that thought came into my mind, I realized that if we did that, China and Japan would merely speed up their invasion and take Siberia before I can even have the draft report written up."  
  
"We cannot just outright go to the Chinese and say we have this information," President Winnfield said, "If we did that they would now that someone leaked the information."  
  
"This is not an easy situation," President Andropov agreed, "We should take some time and consult others about this."  
  
"That would probably be for the best," Winnfield said.  
  
"I thank you for giving me this information George," Andropov said.  
  
"I will contact you again when I have some more information Vladimir. Good bye," the President of the United States said and hung up.  
  
Despite receiving advice from his National Security Advisor, the Secretary of State, and the Chief of Staff of the United States military, President Winnfield still had no sound ideas on stabilizing the situation in Asia.  
  
He would have to come up with something soon; otherwise World War III could break out.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Hi, Mrs. Clark here again. Mr. Clark is now serving in the Middle East, though he told me not to disclose his location, so I won't. He couldn't take dependants their, so I'm stuck here in the United States, twiddling my thumbs until he returns, which only god knows when. I'm sure some of you have noticed the lack of any Ranma ½ characters in this first chapter, which I'm, as equally, sure, will make some people mad.  
  
This chapter was used to set up the world situation. America is now attacking Afghanistan after the attacks on America, and they are very close to extraditing the Taliban from power. But over in Asia, the economic situation in both China and Japan has taken its toll on the two countries, and when countries run out of money, they get just a little desperate.  
  
I promise to you that the Ranma ½ characters will be in the next chapter.  
  
I'd really appreciate a review for this chapter, and it would be great to hear from those that read Balance of Power because I want to see how the two compare. 


	3. Until the End Chapter 2

Until the End Chapter 2 Assassination  
  
Ranma Saotome glanced at the phone that had been moved from its original spot and placed onto the dining room table. Three pairs of eyes watched the phone, as if waiting for it to ring.  
  
"He'll call whenever he has something, so we really shouldn't be waiting," Ranma said to the other two. But he still did not take his eyes from the phone.  
  
Akane Saotome looked over at Ranma. "If you really think so then you can go wake up Kagome and Ryoga from their nap."  
  
Ranma nodded silently and got to his feet. He rubbed Akari's shoulders as he went by. Climbing the stairs Ranma wondered what the American government was going to do once they got confirmation on the seventeen prisoners-of-war. A war was likely, especially after what had happened in New York City and Washington. America was at war already, and it seemed entirely likely that they would attack China just to get those seventeen men out alive.  
  
Ranma had his doubts too. What if the American government didn't get confirmation on the whereabouts of the prisoners-of-war? Would they simply think that it was seventeen lives versus thousands? Would confirmation on the existence of the soldiers not come?  
  
Ranma shook his head. If America did not decide to attack China and retrieve their soldiers, than Ranma knew what he had to do. Even if it meant going by himself, Ranma would cross into China and try and find those soldiers himself. He had no illusions about the trip, and it was entirely likely that he would die and not succeed in his mission, but he would have to try. There was no way he could wake up every morning and look himself in the mirror if he did not at least attempt to find Ryoga and those other soldiers.  
  
For the hundredth time in two hours, Ranma wondered if Ryoga was one of the men that numbered the seventeen soldiers inside that prison camp. He devotedly hoped so; Ryoga was his best friend, and the only man that Ranma had known that would so effortlessly throw down his life for him. He also hoped that Ryoga was alive for Akari; she had spent four years mourning over him. Ranma was sure that the only thing that had kept her from ending her life was Ryoga Jr., Ryoga's child.  
  
Ranma's thoughts ended when he opened the door to Kagome's room and saw Ryoga and Kagome asleep. He smiled and walked into the room, sitting down on the bed. He let his hand gently run down the face of his daughter. Her long brown hair was unsettled as it reached down past her shoulders. He shifted his sights to Ryoga Jr. The small boy lay beside Kagome, his face was very serene. Ranma marveled at how much the small boy looked like his father.  
  
He chuckled softly at the memory of the time he and Ryoga had eaten the mushrooms that reduced your age to the height of the mushroom.  
  
How would Ryoga react if he found out that he had a son? Ranma asked himself. Ranma had no idea just how being a prisoner for four years would affect you, and he had no doubt that Ryoga might not be the same person he was when he and Ryoga had first gone to China.  
  
"Oh god," Ranma whispered to himself. He missed Ryoga so much.  
  
===============  
  
General Phillip Sheridan Parker IV marched into the office of the Vice Chief of Staff. He stopped six feet from the desk and saluted.  
  
"At ease," Lieutenant General Howard George said as he returned the salute. He reached into a drawer on his desk and extracted a bottle of scotch.  
  
"Sir, I was just wondering why you asked me to come here?" General Parker asked.  
  
"To celebrate," Lieutenant General George said simply, filling two scotch glasses two thirds of the way before dropping two ice cubes into the drinks. He passed one of the glasses to General Parker.  
  
"What are we celebrating?" General Parker asked, confused.  
  
"Your new assignment," Lieutenant General George said, smiling smugly.  
  
Parker did not respond.  
  
"I just got the word from the Chief of Staff," Lieutenant General George explained. "Do you like North Carolina at this time of year Phil?"  
  
It took Parker a moment to run through all the bases in North Carolina. He decided to take a long shot.  
  
"I'm taking over the Special Warfare School?"  
  
Lieutenant General George looked surprised for a moment but his smug smile returned.  
  
"I just finished talking to Hanrahan and he said that he had recommended you to replace him once he retired next month," Lieutenant General George said.  
  
"Doesn't the job call for a three star?" General Parker asked.  
  
"Normally yes, but orders came down with a DP attached to them."  
  
"What's DP?" Parker asked, confused.  
  
"It means 'Direction of the President'," Lieutenant General George explained. "What it means is that the President himself signed the paper saying that you were to take over the School."  
  
"Isn't that sort of unusual?"  
  
"Yes," General George answered. "President Bush gave a DP once, but that was for the invasion of Iraq."  
  
The Vice Chief of Staff raised his eyes to look straight at General Parker. "The question I have for you, Phillip, is just who you know that can put a piece of paper in front of the President of the United States and get him to sign it."  
  
Parker looked at the ground for a moment. He suddenly raised his eyes back up to meet George's.  
  
"My father may have done something like that General," Parker said. "But I don't have any idea why."  
  
General George leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath. "Don't trouble yourself on this too much Phil. You can take two days off before you are supposed to arrive at Fort Bragg."  
  
Parker got to his feet and saluted. George returned it, and then extended his hand.  
  
"I had hoped that you would be the man to take over my position Phillip, but that thought will have to take awhile before it becomes reality."  
  
General Parker didn't respond, he turned around and walked out of the office.  
  
===============  
  
The day Kaizo Rimiru died was a beautiful day.  
  
The sun rose early in the morning of December 12, which pleased the emperor of Japan. He walked with his wife to shrine in the Imperial Palace and paid his respects to his elders.  
  
Despite it being winter, the temperature outside was a nice cool zero degrees Celsius. A Monday morning in the middle of December in Tokyo, Japan was quite busy, what with many of the capital's people out in the streets on their way to work or school.  
  
Emperor Rimiru started back from the shrine with his wife at his side. Sakura looked over at him as they walked through the open walkway that led into the main hall of the palace. She gave him a very un-Japanese grin, which he contributed to her attending an American university during her youth.  
  
The emperor loved his empress more than anything in the entire world. He loved her so, that he would compromise everything that he had fought for in his thirty years as emperor just to ensure that she would not have to live through an era of war. He had responded to the American President's letter the other night. In it, he had confined to the President that the Prime Minister of Japan had in fact signed a pact with the Premier of China, and both countries now intended to invade Siberia in order to acquire the untapped natural resources that were in the area. He had outlined his predictions for when he suspected Shizuko and Zhisheng to invade Russia, and as to what the chances of Russian repulsion of their attacks.  
  
There was absolutely no doubt in the emperor's mind that he had committed treason on its most harsh levels, but he did not feel the amount of guilt that he had previously thought he would. He was ashamed of what the Japanese people might think of him if they found out that he had confided in a foreign power instead of them, but he did not feel any shame for what he had done for Japan. Japan was not a world power that leads with an iron fist; it was a nation that gained its power from the intelligence of its people. He could not call himself a man, much less the emperor, if he were to sit back as his grandfather had done before him and allow his country to be consumed by war.  
  
In the last few lines in his letter to President Winnfield, the emperor had written his true feelings.  
  
I must now close this letter with a plea to you, Mr. President. We, the people of Japan, cannot allow ourselves to be lead into a war alongside China, but I fear there is little to nothing that can be done at this point to stop this war from occurring. Japan is long past its days as a military power, and I have a feeling that if Japan is drawn out into a war with Russia, than we will not survive.  
  
The letter was on its way, and now emperor Rimiru would have to wait until the President responded.  
  
The Imperial guards walked a few meters back from the emperor and empress, constantly watching for any type of threat that may materialize.  
  
Emperor Rimiru did not like having personalized guards hovering around the sacred grounds, but there was little he could do about it. In these days, especially after the horrific attacks on America, security and protection were a must for men and women that may be viewed as potential targets for the madmen that tried to change the world for their benefit.  
  
He had not talked to his wife about the events that had occupied his thoughts for most of the week. Diplomatic relations was not the specialty of his wife, but his main concern was that he did not want to worry her.  
  
They entered the main hall and the Imperial guards stopped at the doors. That was one of the things that he had been able to work out with the Imperial security staff. Guards and bodyguards were not allowed into the main area of the Imperial Palace.  
  
"Is everything alright dear?" Empress Makoto asked as soon as they had turned down the first hallway.  
  
"Yes my love," Emperor Rimiru responded as he bent his head down low. The empress, recognizing the gesture, leaned her head upwards and kissed Rimiru on the cheek and very quickly wrapped her arms around his arm. She leaned into him as they continued down the hallway. As they passed through the east window located along the hallway of the east wing of the Imperial Palace, sunlight flooded the room.  
  
The sniper must have been in perfect position to see into the Palace. For the bullet that passed through the east wing of the Imperial Palace's window hit emperor Rimiru directly in the back and passing through his chest. Blood exploded from his wounds and he collapsed to the ground, dragging the empress with him. Glass clattered to the ground as the emperor hit the floor, a grunt escaping his throat before it became filled with blood.  
  
Empress Makoto screamed and turned her husband onto his back, quickly laying her hand on his neck, checking for a pulse.  
  
Emperor Rimiru felt terror grip him as his hands came away from his chest covered in blood. Strangely, he felt no pain, it was almost like he was somewhere else, watching the scene unfold before him. He looked up into his wife's eyes as he felt her press her finger's to his throat. A smile lit up his face as his eye's closed for the last time.  
  
Makoto turned and screamed for help when she failed to find a pulse. She turned back to the emperor and grasped his hand, which was already beginning to turn cold. Looking into his eyes, empress Makoto saw the beautiful brightness that lit up her husband's eyes slowly darken, before finally closing. Tears escaped her eyes and she laid her head against her husband's chest.  
  
Sunlight flooded the hallway and a gentle breeze entered.  
  
A beautiful day indeed.  
  
===============  
  
Prime Minister Shizuko denied to speak with the press about the death of the emperor of Japan. He explained that he was overcome with grief over the death of his friend, and that he needed to make preparations for the funeral.  
  
The empress of Japan had been taken to a hospital, suffering from shock.  
  
Shizuko dismissed the men in his office that were helping him with the planning for the emperor's funeral and asked his press officer that he be left alone for the remainder of the day. After the men left and the Prime Minister was sure that he was alone, he placed a call through to Beijing, China. The person on the other end of the line picked up the phone and asked who the caller was.  
  
"It is done," was Shizuko's response.  
  
===============  
  
The President of the United States arose early in the morning, as was his ritual for Mondays, and walked down the hallway from his room in the White House to the Oval Office, where the Secretary of State was waiting for him.  
  
"We have a problem," Brian Murray said in way of a greeting.  
  
"What's wrong?" President Winnfield asked as he moved behind his large oak desk and sat down in his chair.  
  
"The emperor of Japan was assassinated early this morning in the Imperial Palace as he and the empress were returning from their morning prayer."  
  
"Jesus Christ!" the President of the United States shouted as he slammed his fist down onto the desk, hard enough to slightly crack it.  
  
"I've called the Prime Minister and told him that we will offer any assistance necessary to catch the people responsible for this horrific crime," the Secretary of State said.  
  
"How did it happen?" the President asked quietly as he leaned back in his chair and massaged his temples.  
  
"He and the empress were walking through the Imperial Palace when a sniper shot through the window along the east wing of the building and he was hit in the back. The bullet passed through him and hit his left lung. He died shortly after when his heart stopped beating. They think it must have been from the shock, what with his age and all."  
  
"The empress was with him?"  
  
"Yes sir, she was alone with him when this occurred, and she passed out shortly after the emperor passed on."  
  
"Do we know if the emperor answered my letter before this?" the President asked.  
  
"No sir, but if he did send it, it should be here before the end of the work day," Murray said.  
  
The President nodded and slowly got to his feet. He started for the door, but before he turned the handle completely he turned around.  
  
"I'm going to call the Prime Minister of Japan and express my deepest sympathies," the President announced. "But I know that if I were to call him now, I would rip that sonofabitch a new asshole."  
  
The President opened the door and walked out of the Oval office and down the hall. Before he reached the press room, he turned and regarded a piece of the long hallway.  
  
"Goddamnit!"  
  
President Winnfield slammed his fist into the wall, hard enough to rattle the submachine guns that were hidden in the wall behind a secret sliding cabinet.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: The scene with the emperor of Japan was extremely hard to write. The technique of writing out the opening sentence telling how the section will end up is not an easy thing to do. I had originally intended to have the scene much longer but that proved impossible, at least for me.  
  
I would really appreciate some constructive criticism on how this chapter ended and the scenes. It was the first time I have ever written something like that I want to know if I at least did it right.  
  
A large lack of reviews has dampened the process of my writing, and I'm sure that if everyone would take some time to review this chapter, I can get myself into the writing spirit. Lord knows I don't have much else to do this Christmas without my husband.  
  
Oh well, I just wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas, or in some cases, a happy Chanukah. 


	4. Until the End Chapter 3

Until the End Chapter 3 Conscription  
  
The President of the United States took the podium in the White House press room and slowly gripped the edges of the podium. This did not escape the notice of the row of reporters, who had known that the President only did this when he was extremely angry about something. President Winnfield cleared his throat and regarded the reporters.  
  
"As I'm sure you have all heard," the President began, "the emperor of Japan was assassinated early this morning while walking through the Imperial palace."  
  
"I have agreed with my press officer to appear here today to answer your questions, though I would like to warn you that I have a very busy day ahead of me and I would appreciate it if you would be brief in your questions."  
  
There was absolute silence for thirty seconds before the reporter from the Boston Globe stood up.  
  
"Mr. President, have you had any contact with the Prime Minister of Japan?"  
  
"Yes," President Winnfield nodded. "I called him half an hour before I arrived here and expressed my deepest sympathies and offered all American resources to catch the people that would so blatantly assassinate a peaceful man. He thanked me but did not ask for any American help at this time."  
  
The next question was from the Washington Post.  
  
"Do we have any idea who might have actually committed the assassination?"  
  
"No, at the moment we have had absolutely no leads as of this moment but I'm sure that the Japanese will be able to narrow it down quite quickly."  
  
The same reporter asked the next question.  
  
"What of the reports that it was a member in the Japanese government that issued the order to have emperor Rimiru murdered?"  
  
From the shock that registered on President Winnfield's face, the reporters could tell that the President had not expected such a question. It took the President a moment to form his reply.  
  
"Emperor Rimiru was an honorable man that was held in high esteem around the country. I have never met anyone that did not respect him as much I did. The possibility that someone within the Japanese government ordered the assassination of the emperor is nil."  
  
There was so much finality in the President's statement that the reporter that had asked the question slowly sank back down to his seat under the gaze of everyone in the room.  
  
"Thank you for your time," President Winnfield said and disconnected the microphone from his lapels and left the podium.  
  
Winnfield turned down the hallway when his aide-de-camp started down the other end of the hall.  
  
"Good press conference Mr. President, but you took a little long on that last answer than you should have," Jerry Sauer, the President's aide- de-camp, said.  
  
"I was trying to think about the perfect lie to tell them," the President said. He turned to look at Sauer. "I don't believe a word I said in there Jerry. I know the Prime Minister ordered the assassination of Rimiru."  
  
Sauer nodded his head slowly as they entered the elevator that would carry them up to the Oval Office.  
  
"The emperor's letter just arrived Mr. President."  
  
"Looks like he was too late," President Winnfield said sadly and exited the elevator when the doors slid open. He walked down the hallway to the Oval Office and opened the door, stepping into it and walking to his desk. Spotting the letter, Winnfield turned and looked at Sauer.  
  
"If you would like to read it alone," Sauer said and backed out of the office, closing the door behind him.  
  
The President took the letter in his hands and set heavily down onto his leather chair. For the longest time he simply stared at the letter. Finally, he grabbed his letter opener.  
  
Extracting the letter, the President noted that the emperor had gone to the trouble of handwriting the note himself, just as he had done with the letter that he had sent to the emperor.  
  
Sighing, the President began to read the letter.  
  
Dear President Winnfield;  
  
I am writing this to respond to the letter that you sent me a week ago. I must admit that I was almost outraged the first moment I read your letter, what with your accusations that Japan would even contemplate signing a pact with China and invading Siberia. But, with a new government taking power, I was deeply troubled and the matter would not leave my mind, no matter how much I willed it to. So I went to see Prime Minister Shizuko, and I decided that he would be able to put my mind at ease.  
  
Unfortunately, the Prime Minister explained to me that Japan was indeed signing a pct with China, and that plans to invade Siberia were already being formed. I do not know what I said during the rest of my meeting with the Prime Minister, for I must have gone into shock. Sadly, this was not the worst note of my meeting. I mentioned to Prime Minister Shizuko that Russia had nuclear weapons, and that if we were to invade, they might very well unleash a nuclear fury onto our country a hundred times worse than in 1949. Prime Minister Shizuko replied to me, "Russia is not the only country with nuclear capabilities Your Eminence. Japan is now in possession of twenty-nine S-39 nuclear tipped missiles."  
  
I am deeply troubled by that last bit of news Mr. President, and I want you to know that I am now willing to do anything that may save my beloved country from becoming a nuclear wasteland, even reporting this information to you.  
  
I fear for the safety of my country, and that of my loved ones. As you no doubt know the feeling of losing one's betrothed, I will ask you that you help so I do not have to go through the same thing. My wife is the most important thing to me, and I fear for her life.  
  
I must now close this letter with a plea to you, Mr. President. We, the people of Japan, cannot allow ourselves to be lead into a war alongside China, but I fear there is little to nothing that can be done at this point to stop this war from occurring. Japan is long past its days as a military power, and I have a feeling that if Japan is drawn out into a war with Russia, than we will not survive.  
  
I must now ask you, but not as an emperor to a President, but as one man to another, please George, do not allow my beloved country to once again go down the path of war. The Japanese people do not deserve to be thrust down the path of tragedy again.  
  
President Winnfield leaned back in his chair. It was only six months ago that his wife had passed away from breast cancer, and the pain still radiated in him every time he thought of her.  
  
The President was aware of what the media now referred to him as, 'The Ice Man'. Sadly, the President understood that nickname, and he also thought it fit him, for watching his wife slowly die over the course of two years had left him emotionally hollow.  
  
Slowly, the President shook his head and got up from his chair and walked to the thick windows that were installed in the Oval Office. He looked out and saw the busy rush hour D.C. traffic.  
  
"So," the President said aloud. "The Prime Minister assassinated emperor Rimiru while he was standing beside his wife, just because he felt that he would become a nuisance later on, and now he wishes to sign a pact with China and invade Russia."  
  
Gripping his fist tightly, the President spun from the window and marched towards the door.  
  
"If he wants a war, then I'm going to give him one."  
  
===============  
  
Sergeant Major John Taylor waited silently as General Phillip Sheridan Parker IV inspected the office of the commanding officer for Fort Bragg would be in.  
  
Sergeant Major Taylor knew quite a bit about General Parker, including his recent exploits in Afghanistan with the Green Berets. General Parker had an interesting background. Graduated from Norwich University in 1980, then stationed in Bosnia, after that he went across the Atlantic to join in on Task Force Able which was attacking Saddam's troops in the Gulf War, next he became assigned to aviation where he became checked out in the Sikorsky helicopter before being reassigned again back to armor, during which time the Pacific War broke out and he became the leader of Task Force Parker and nearly won the entire war in Taiwan with only thirty-six M1 Abrams tanks and halftracks. After all that he ended up as a lieutenant colonel and was transferred to the Pentagon. He very shortly got the star of a Brigadier General and was assigned the title of Deputy Vice Chief of Staff. A week ago he received orders to transfer to the Special Warfare School and take over as the commanding officer.  
  
Needless to say, the news of General Parker's military history was enough to have the entire school exhilarated to have the man take over.  
  
General Parker straightened up and smiled at Taylor.  
  
"Alright Sergeant Major, everything seems to be in good order. How about we go down to the mess hall so I can meet the troops." It was not a question.  
  
Taylor led Parker out of the building and to a waiting jeep outside. Officers were not permitted to drive by themselves, so Taylor drove the jeep to the enlisted mess. Luckily for the troops, a person from the operations headquarters had called ahead to the mess hall and alerted the men inside about the general's arrival.  
  
The three hundred PFC's were standing outside the mess hall, all standing at attention when General Parker's jeep pulled up.  
  
"If I didn't know better Sergeant Major," Parker said getting out of the jeep, "I would have to think that someone called ahead to warn these soldiers before I could spring a surprise on them."  
  
He turned to regard the troops.  
  
"What the hell are you all doing outside; your food is getting cold!" General Parker shouted at the troops and was greeted with laughter.  
  
A sharp featured second lieutenant came down the line and saluted General Parker.  
  
"Sir, we thought that this would be a good time for the General to meet the PFC troops that are about to go through the Green Beret training program," the lieutenant said.  
  
Parker nodded. He turned and smiled at the men still standing at attention. He started at the head of the line and asked each and every soldier their name. Once he was finished he stood in front of them and regarded them.  
  
He spoke gravely, "While I myself am a graduate of this school, I must admit that I have neglected to wear my Green Beret in almost a decade, which I suppose, is about to change now that I have taken over this command. I will not lie to you, this course you are about to partake in is quite rigorous and difficult, and I'm sure that at least a few of you will drop out before it's over." He paused and then continued his voice now light. "But, I do promise that this will make a man out of you, and it is long thought of that the ladies look upon Special Forces types in certain amorous ways."  
  
The troops chuckled there appreciation.  
  
"Alright," General Parker concluded. "I've taken up enough of your time, go finish your dinners."  
  
The troops saluted and returned into the mess hall.  
  
"There good troops," Parker said to Sergeant Major Taylor as they drove back.  
  
"Yes sir," Taylor replied. "Sir, I do not wish to sound insubordinate but, did you really graduate from this school?"  
  
General Parker chuckled. "Yes, though I'm not to sure it was in the normal manner that most of those boys will be doing it."  
  
"Oh?" Taylor said, it was a request for information.  
  
"I take it you remember Major General Red Hanrahan, the previous commander of this school?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Alright, well, when I was still a petty major, I met Red Hanrahan when he was over in the Gulf. I served under him for about two months and we got to know each other pretty well. After the war, it came down from the Pentagon that he was going to be taking over the Special Warfare School and he called me the next day and asked if I wanted to come down there with him."  
  
"Now, my aversion for anything that has to do with jumping out of airplanes and eating snakes is well known in the army, and I politely told Hanrahan to go piss on a rope."  
  
"Well, when I was in the Pentagon a few months later, I mistakenly made a derogatory comment about paratroopers and parachutists in general, to the then major general Max Aran, a long-time member of the Airborne family. It was then that I received a call from my commanding officer that said that because I didn't seem to have anything better to do at the time, how about I go down to Fort Bragg and find out everything I could about HALO jumps. Now, this was no coincidence, apparently General Aran called my CO and told him of our encounter and made a few pointed remarks, and asked that I be dealt with accordingly."  
  
"I came down here with the understanding that I would be given a very quick run-around on HALO jumps and their nature, but when Hanrahan found out, he quickly called me and informed me that it had been prepared for me to go up with a team of Beret's that just happened to be jumping that same day. I went along, mostly because I did not want anything to get back to my CO or General Aran. After we were at the prescribed dropping point, I was ordered to stand aside and let the other boys jump. But when I got up, the sonsofbitches grabbed me and carried me out the back of the plane with them."  
  
Sergeant Major Taylor fought very hard to try and not laugh but he could not conceal the small chuckle that escaped his throat.  
  
"I suppose it would seem funny to some people, but when I got into Red's office, I was pissed. Before I could say anything though, Hanrahan handed me a green beret with the silver wings of a parachutist pinned to the brim. I was speechless; it seemed Hanrahan had planned the whole thing. But what made everything worse was the fact that Hanrahan was neither laughing, nor smiling. He sat me down and explained that he had done this for a reason; he wanted me to understand that what Green Berets do is not something that I should be making fun of. I never made another crack about Green Berets after that day."  
  
General Parker turned and looked at Taylor.  
  
"General Hanrahan was a brilliant man and a great leader. I can only hope that I will be half the commander that he was."  
  
===============  
  
Prime Minister Shizuko watched silently as his Chief of Information and the Secretary of Defense argued. The argument had been started when the Chief of Information made the comment that he doubted Japan could survive a full-fledged attack from America or Russia.  
  
"We have China on our side!" The Secretary of Defense stated. "Not to mention our nuclear missiles. Neither country would dare attack us with the threat of nuclear war hanging over their heads."  
  
"Are you a fool or have you forgotten that both countries possess far greater nuclear capabilities than us. While we may be able to hurt them, they could wipe us from the face of the earth."  
  
"Stop it the both of you," Prime Minister Shizuko said softly.  
  
Both men looked at the Prime Minister and seemed to be awaiting an answer.  
  
"While we do have China protecting us, there still exists the threat presented by both Russia and America, should either country decide to strike at us directly, either with nuclear weapons or through man power. The main problem facing us at this moment is our inability to protect ourselves at home. Working in our favor is the fact that both America and Russia have no idea that we have been secretly developing nuclear tipped missiles that are ready for deployment."  
  
The Prime Minister was silent for a minute, obviously thinking things through.  
  
"Russia's nuclear capabilities are not a threat to us, for any missile launched from Moscow will have to pass through China, and China has dedicated SAM (surface-to-air-missiles) sites around their borders. America is another thing though, for they have shown that they obviously are willing to go to the length of using these weapons if it would halt a war."  
  
"You see, we cannot feasibly enter a war with Russia with such a threat just a few hundred miles off our borders," the Chief of Intelligence stated.  
  
The Prime Minister slowly shook his head. He got to his feet and walked to the large window that looked out onto the city of Tokyo.  
  
"We will join China in their attack against Russia, but I do not want us to do that unless we have a suitable man force to put into the war effort."  
  
"But Mr. Prime Minister, we only have an active roster of a few thousand men in the Maritime Self Defense Force," the Secretary of Defense protested.  
  
"Then we will get more men, and by the time China intends to set out in their invasion plans, we will have a suitable army to assist them."  
  
"You speak the impossible, the Chief of Intelligence said. "The people of Japan will not jump at the chance to invade a neighbor, especially when it becomes clear that America is supporting our supposed enemies."  
  
"Then we will force them to!" Prime Minister Shizuko shouted. "I will not be made a fool of before the rest of the world when we try and take Russia and they are able to stop our forces on their border."  
  
"What do you propose we do then?" the Chief of Intelligence asked.  
  
"Conscription," the Prime Minister said simply. He turned from the window and marched to his desk. "If we could order at least a quarter million people to invade Russia, along with the Chinese, than taking Siberia will be as simple as crushing a bug."  
  
"But sir," the Secretary of Defense started. "What if the people are unwilling to fight?"  
  
"They will fight," the Prime Minister said with a surprising calm. "They will fight because I have ordered them to."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma yawned loudly as he descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen. It was dusk out, and he had been up since very early in the morning, waiting for a call from Phillip.  
  
There had been only one telephone call from the time Phil had called the first time the previous day, and it had only been Nabiki, wondering if he and Akane were free to have dinner with her and Kuno the following night. Akane had explained to Nabiki about what was going on and she had quickly offered to come over to the Dojo. With which Akane had laughed and told her that everything was fine and she would call as soon as they heard anything from Phillip.  
  
The news about the assassination of the Emperor of Japan had struck a cord through everyone in the Saotome household. For everyone inside had felt the effects of war, and the thought about a civil war breaking out over these actions made everyone a little uneasy. Mixed with the news about Ryoga's uncertain survival made the assassination even worse. Ranma deeply respected the emperor, and he wondered what kind of person would dare murder such a kind man.  
  
Ranma was sure that Akari was nearly going insane with waiting. She had spent the past four years dealing with her grief, and now it was all unearthed again by just a simple phone call. Akane had followed Akari around the whole day, which meant that Ranma would be left to take care of the children. He didn't even attempt to explain things to the kids, especially because he did not want them to get their hopes up. There was still a chance that Ryoga was not among the seventeen men in the prisoner- of-war camp, and that he had actually perished in the slaughter by the Chinese infantrymen.  
  
Walking into the kitchen, Ranma heard the telephone ring. He took off at sprint and nearly bowled over Akane, who had come running from the living room to answer the phone. Ranma got there first and picked up the receiver.  
  
"Hello, Saotome residence."  
  
*Ranma, its Phil,* the voice on the other end spoke.  
  
"Phil! Have you heard anything?" Ranma asked urgently.  
  
*Sorry, I still haven't gotten anything since yesterday, but that's not the reason I called. I received a transfer today from my duties as the Deputy Vice Chief of Staff and I was stationed at Fort Bragg where I became the Commanding Officer of the Special Warfare Center (School). This means I'm not too sure if I'll be privy to the sensitive information that I could get my hands on while in the Pentagon.*  
  
"Oh," Ranma said deflated.  
  
*But don't lose hope yet Ranma; remember that my father will be sending me everything that comes in regarding the prisoners in China. It will just take me a little longer to get the information to you because I'm sure that they are not going to risk sending me the information through an e-mail, and will instead opt for a courier.*  
  
"Alright, thanks for calling Phil, say hi to Toni for me," Ranma said.  
  
*Goodbye Ranma.*  
  
Ranma placed the receiver back in its cradle.  
  
"Well?" Akane said expectantly.  
  
"He hasn't heard anything since yesterday," Ranma said sadly.  
  
"Than why did he call?" Akane asked, confused.  
  
"He received change-of-station orders early today and he's now in Fort Bragg as the Commanding Officer for the Special Warfare Center."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"It's where they train those Green Beret guys, like what Seiji was."  
  
"Oh," Akane said. "What does that mean?"  
  
"It means that it's going to take him even longer to get us any information regarding Ryoga and those POW's."  
  
Akane nodded her head and started to turn around. Before she could though, Ranma grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Akane responded in kind.  
  
"He's got to be okay, he's just got to," Ranma said, his voice choking with emotion.  
  
Akane didn't respond but simply raised her head and kissed Ranma.  
  
===============  
  
As the early morning sunlight filled the bedroom, Ranma Saotome opened his eyes. He had not slept very well.  
  
Slowly, carefully, making his way out of bed so as to not wake up Akane, Ranma removed the bed covers and slipped into a silk robe that he had bought when he had visited Phillip in Washington the other year. His initials were braided above the front chest pocket and Akane told him it looked like something a rich mobster would have worn in the thirties.  
  
Taking great pains to move down the hallway without making any noise, Ranma made his way down the hallway and down the stairs. It was times like these when he wished that he had bought a house and moved the Dojo there instead of living in a house with creaky floors and a structure that needed regular maintenance. The money involved there was no big deal for Ranma, he had a net worth of almost seventy million dollars, but it was annoying to have repair men constantly floating around the house.  
  
His appeal to Akane had been shot down. Akane simply told him that the Tendo home had been in the same area for almost a century, and they were not going to destroy all that just because Ranma did not like the creaky floors.  
  
He chuckled softly to himself when he had talked to Ishii about his problems.  
  
"Why Ranma, I'm surprised at you, you should know that the area where three generations of men and women kicked each other's asses all day long would be a real staple point for the success of a certain Dojo."  
  
Ranma decided to go and get the morning newspaper and walked out of the front door just in time to see the mail man coming up the front walk.  
  
"Good morning Mr. Saotome," the postman greeted. "Up a little early today aren't we?"  
  
"Funny," Ranma said. "I was about to ask you the same thing."  
  
The postman shrugged. "All I know is that I received a call from the Post Office General and he told me to go to the Post Office and pick up some letters that the Prime Minister wished to be delivered as soon as possible."  
  
"Do you know what it's about?" Ranma asked as he took the offered envelope from the postman.  
  
"Not a clue," the postman said. "Have a good day Mr. Saotome!"  
  
"You too," Ranma said and walked back into the house, grabbing the newspaper from the mailbox. He walked into the kitchen and set the newspaper down on a table. He looked at the envelope addressed to him.  
  
"'Office of the Prime Minister'?" Ranma said confused. He tore open the envelope and began reading. His hands slowly began to shake and he dropped the letter.  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Well, I'm sure everybody knows exactly what the letter from the Prime Minister said. But for those that don't I'm not going to reveal it until the next chapter. Expect the next chapter to be very suspenseful.  
  
Well, only a little bit longer till Christmas, and Chanukah is about halfway through, so I hope everyone is into the holiday spirit. I know I am, even if I am missing a husband. I received an e-mail from Mr. Clark the other day and it nicely outlined the fact that it may be December, but where he is, the last thing you would be thinking about is the holidays.  
  
I hope you all have liked this story, and I want to thank everyone for their reviews and opinions. Your words are not ignored, they are taken to heart, and even if they are not always of the best grammar, I always take the time to read each one. 


	5. Until the End Chapter 4

Until the End Chapter 4 The Human Aspect  
  
Akari stared in disbelief at the letter. She looked up at Ranma.  
  
"They can't really do this can they?" she asked.  
  
Ranma shrugged. "I've got no clue; I'm just hoping that this is some kind of joke."  
  
"If the postman had to get up early and deliver it after a call from the Post Master General, than I think it may be safe to guess that it is a real no-shit letter from the Prime Minister," Akari said.  
  
Ranma took the letter from Akari and read it for the hundredth time that morning.  
  
Tokyo, Japan (GOVT Rate) December 14, 2001  
  
Ranma Saotome 0-493502  
  
Saotome Dojo, Nerima  
  
Tokyo  
  
By direction of the Prime Minister, you are ordered to report to Miyakojima Base, Okinawa, not later than 2400 hours 20 December 2001 to enter upon an indefinite period of active duty in connection with the Siberian peace action.  
  
Jiro Ohata  
  
Major General,  
  
Japan Army  
  
The Adjutant General  
  
"I think I'd better call Phil," Ranma said, mostly to himself. He stepped out of the kitchen and moved down the hallway to the phone. He dialed a number from a small piece of paper beside the phone and waited as the operators connected him to the United States. A voice suddenly came onto the phone.  
  
*A storm has knocked out phone lines and created a temperamental disturbance and we are unable to connect your call, if you have any questions, please contact your phone agency.*  
  
"What the hell?" Ranma said in disbelief as he listened to the recording again. He set the phone back into its cradle.  
  
Akari came down the hall, a worried expression on her face.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Ranma frowned. "It says there was some kind of storm and all the phone lines to the United States are down." He looked up at Akari. "Did you hear anything about a storm?"  
  
"No," Akari said. "It's December, there aren't that many storms here, but maybe they had one in the U.S."  
  
"Maybe," Ranma said. He suddenly went back to the phone and dialed a number.  
  
"Hello?" "Is pop there mom, I need to talk to him." "Hey, have you heard anything about a storm that knocked down any phone lines?" "No, okay, no nothing's wrong, I was just curious, thanks pop, I'll tell Akane you said hi."  
  
He set the phone back down and turned to Akari.  
  
"Well, if nothing happened in Kyushu, than I'd have to guess that it may have been a storm in the U.S."  
  
"What are you going to do then?"  
  
Ranma looked thoughtful for a minute. He snapped his fingers.  
  
"I know! I'll go down to the office downtown and use the secure line there."  
  
Ranma ran and grabbed a coat and walked back to where Akari was still standing.  
  
"Okay, if Akane wakes up don't tell her about any of this," Ranma said as he put his arms into the coat sleeves. "I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
"Be careful," Akari said as she leaned forward and zipped up his jacket.  
  
"You bet," Ranma said and kissed Akari, not quite on the lips, and winked at her before dashing out of the house. The sound of an engine starting and revving reverberated throughout the house and it soon disappeared as Ranma drove off down the street.  
  
===============  
  
The Japanese office building for the investment banking company, Saotome, Hibiki, Unryuu, Inafune, and Portet, was not what one would expect a multi-million dollar company to look like. At least the outside didn't. The dark gray paint that the owner of the building, Ranma Saotome, had decided upon four years ago had begun to chip and flake. It was only a one story building and occupied a small sector of the land that it was entitled to. The rest of the area was the small parking lot, and a large, almost huge, gym built behind the gray building.  
  
When Ranma had become President in 1998, he had ordered the gym to be built, as he noticed a supreme lack of them around the entire downtown sector. Within days of opening, the gym had acquired so many members that it had been necessary to add-on to the already huge gym. When a news agency caught wind of this and went to interview the owner of the gym, Ranma had told them that he had actually had it built so he didn't get bored to tears while working in an ugly office building.  
  
The truth of that matter was that Ranma did not actually run the Japanese district of Saotome, Hibiki, Unryuu, Inafune, and Portet. Akari Unryuu had acceded to the title after graduating from the Wharton School of Economics in early 1998, shortly after graduating from a college course. But Ranma still held five of the nine seats in the company executives, so he was in all actuality, the owner of the company. Fortunately for Ranma, Akari and the other associates handled all the business matters.  
  
Ranma parked his BMW 325 in the parking spot reserved for a VIP. He got out and headed for the front doors and entered the code on the security locks and walked inside. He didn't bother checking at the blinking light that signaled to whoever was there that someone had called during the weekend, and quickly made his way to the office designated as the President of the company.  
  
Ranma entered the office and pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked a drawer on the large oak desk that sat in the office and extracted a telephone. It was a STU-6, the most secure phone system that had yet to be produced. He dialed the number he had gotten from Phil when he had called from Fort Bragg. There was a ring, and very quickly a female voice sounded on the other end.  
  
*Hello?*  
  
"Toni?" Ranma asked in English. He didn't wait for an answer. "This is Ranma, is Phil there?"  
  
*He's asleep, but I'll get him up anyways.* A few muffled noises could be heard and finally Phil came on the line, his voice groggy from sleep.  
  
*Hello?*  
  
"It's Ranma, Phil, I'm sorry to wake you up but I've got to ask you something."  
  
*Don't worry Ranma, I succeeded in breaking the record last night for fewest hours spent in bed so I guess it doesn't matter that I should try and break the record again.*  
  
Ranma ignored that remark and extracted the letter he had received early that morning.  
  
"Listen here Phil; I've got something to read to you." Ranma then read the entire letter. When he was finished, Phil's voice came back onto the line and it was now wide-awake.  
  
*Read that again.* Ranma did. *Oh, god did a war happen while I was asleep?*  
  
Despite what was happening, Ranma chuckled.  
  
"Look, Phil, I got this about five am this morning, and the mailman looked like he had at least a few bags full of them."  
  
*Okay, Christ, it sounds like you've just been drafted.*  
  
"Can they do that?" Ranma asked incredulously.  
  
*Yeah, and from what I can tell by that, "Siberian peace action" line, than it means your going somewhere cold, and probably accompanying some Chinese soldiers as well. I'm going to call some people Ranma, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.*  
  
"Alright, thanks Phil, and remember that I'm in the office right now, and not at home, the operator was saying something about a storm knocking out all lines to the U.S."  
  
*Bullshit, the closest thing to a storm over here is the two inches of snow that got dumped on Green Bay last night. I'll talk to you later Ranma, stay in the office.*  
  
The line clicked, and Ranma set the phone down.  
  
He sank down into the soft leather chair and placed his face into his hands and softly began to cry.  
  
===============  
  
The Secretary of State, Brian Murray, impatiently waited as the courier sent over by the CIA opened his briefcase and began to search for the message he had intended to deliver. Finally, having found it, he handed it to Murray, smiled, and left the office.  
  
"It's too goddamned early for this shit to be happening," Murray muttered to himself as he sank down into his chair.  
  
He read through the report surprised to see that it didn't have the usual CIA crap warnings on it. When he was finished, he shook his head slowly. Turning his head he checked the clock that hung on his wall. The President would be getting up in about an hour and there was no use waking him up this early anyway.  
  
Murray grabbed his phone and hit speed dial that connected him to Langley.  
  
*Hello?*  
  
"Phil? It's me, Murray."  
  
*Ah, I take this call is about the document I had sent over?*  
  
"Yes, I was just wondering where you happened to get it from. Or is that a question you can't answer?"  
  
Phil chuckled. *Well, for the first time in the CIA's history I think I can actually answer that question. My, son, who is down at Fort Bragg with the Green Berets, called me about an hour ago and told me about this.*  
  
"Where'd he get the information from?"  
  
*He has some friends in Japan, and one of them got a letter from the Prime Minister's office very early this morning. He's being drafted.*  
  
"Do you know who this friend is?"  
  
There was a slight pause on the other end.  
  
*Do you remember when they sent the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion to China in the waning days of the Pacific War?*  
  
"Yeah, little Phil was commanding it."  
  
*Okay, when they crossed from Japan to China, the 82nd took three Japanese civilians, Ranma Saotome, the guy getting drafted, Ryoga Hibiki; who was killed after being taken prisoner, and Ishii Inafune, Seiji Inafune's son. Both Ranma and Ryoga were taken prisoner and Phillip ended up rescuing him and a few other POW's that had been captured after the opening days of the war. But Ryoga was murdered along with forty-nine other POW's. I tried to get Ranma the Civilian Medal for his actions but I was told that would create some diplomatic problems.*  
  
"Oh, now I remember. There was a big funeral for that Hibiki guy, and Phillip awarded him the Combat Infantry Badge. Then the, (then) President wrote a letter to the fiancée of Hibiki."  
  
*I never heard about the letter but yeah, Phillip also gave Ryoga the Purple Heart and the Prisoner of War Medal.*  
  
"Okay, it's making sense now," Murray said. "So this Ranma guy got the draft letter and called Phil?"  
  
*Yeah, but when he tried calling from a normal phone, there was a recording that there had been a big storm and all the lines to the United States had been temporarily shut down.*  
  
"Are you kidding me?"  
  
*No, it sounds like Japan is dead serious about signing this pact with China and invading Siberia.*  
  
"Oh god, and with all of our troops in the Middle East, were going to have a hell of a time trying to stop an assault by both China and Japan."  
  
Phil didn't reply.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to wake the President up and give him this information. Thanks for the heads-up Phil."  
  
*Your welcome Brian."  
  
===============  
  
Russian President Vladimir Andropov was awoken by his chief aide at 0439 hours. This at first elicited an angry response from the President, the aide quickly handed Andropov a slip of paper and excused himself before he could hear anymore of the President's reprimand.  
  
"Goddamnit," the President cursed. "Can't I even get five hours of sleep?"  
  
He got up from his bed and quickly donned a robe. He was about to go into the bathroom before he remembered the paper the aide had given him before fleeing the room. Andropov reached over and switched on his bedside lamp, grabbing his reading glasses as he did so.  
  
"From the desk of the White House?" the Russian President quoted incredulously as he read the first line. A chuckle escaped his lips. So, Winnfield was already making due on his promise to relay any information the United States may acquire about the situation in Asia.  
  
Any more laughter left him after he read the document. President Andropov's already ruddy face flushed red with anger.  
  
The Japanese were drafting their people into the invasion!  
  
Now Russia would have to face not only Chinese soldiers, but Japanese draftees as well. Vladimir shook his head sadly.  
  
There was absolutely zero chance that the Russian perimeter guards could stop the invasion forces put out by Japan and China. The Asians were going to walk right into Siberia without being harassed at all, except maybe by the cold weather.  
  
President Andropov put his feet into a pair of slippers and stepped outside of his room and walked down the hallway. He found his aide sitting at the table in his dining room, waiting for the President with what looked like fear in his eyes.  
  
"What time did this come in?" Andropov asked coldly, indicating the report he still held in his hand.  
  
"Ten minutes ago sir," the aide replied shakily. "I decided that it would be best if you saw it right when it was faxed over."  
  
Andropov looked like he was about to say something, but changed his mind and took a cup of coffee from a tray and gently sipped from it as he read over the report again. He raised his eyes to look at his aide.  
  
"Oh, stand at ease Gennedy, I did not mean to yell at you," President Andropov said warmly. He waited until Gennedy had gotten a cup of coffee from the nearby tray before he spoke. "Did you have any conversation with whoever sent this?"  
  
"Yes sir," Gennedy said. "The President's Secretary of State told me that he had just shown it to the President of the United States ten minutes before he had it faxed over to us. Apparently, a friend of a high ranking officer knows someone in Japan and called the White House with this information."  
  
"Okay, send an affirmative back to them and say thank you," Andropov said. "And I really am sorry that I snapped at you, it was uncalled for."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma arrived back at the Saotome Dojo at 1600 hours, almost ten hours since he had left his home to go downtown to call Phil. He had waited four hours before Phil called him back, with the news that Japan was not answering any calls from the President or actually admitting the American ambassador to see the Prime Minister to ask about what was happening. The Americans knew exactly what was going on, and they were very much afraid that they were right about other things.  
  
He was supposed to report to that Miyakojima Base in Okinawa in only three days, which would leave Ranma's chances to sort things out very restricted.  
  
Goddamnit! Ranma angrily thought. He was going to be away for Christmas. Akane would be alone and so would Akari.  
  
Shaking his head, Ranma walked up to the front door and opened it, he immediately came face to face with Akane. Her face was a mixture of anger and concern.  
  
"So, you finally decide to come home," Akane said angrily.  
  
Ranma sighed and removed his jacket. "Akane, I really got to talk to you."  
  
Akane had expected Ranma to reply, but not in the sad manner, and she was now even more worried than she had originally been.  
  
She followed Ranma back out of the house and down the path leading to the Dojo. Along the way he reached for her arm and wrapped it around his and inhaled deeply when she pressed up against him. When they finally got into the Dojo and had closed the doors, Akane was very worried.  
  
"So," Akane said, hoping that Ranma would respond. "What were you doing downtown all day?"  
  
Ranma looked like he wasn't going to reply but finally did.  
  
"Akane, I got a letter today from the government."  
  
Akane looked at him, confused.  
  
"I'm to report to Okinawa by December 20 and prepare to undergo basic training as an infantryman." (Ranma had asked Phil what he would have to do if he went to Okinawa and Phil had explained what usually happens when you go through basic training.  
  
"What?" Akane asked in disbelief.  
  
"I'm being drafted to go fight in Siberia," Ranma said softly.  
  
"What do you mean your going to Siberia? You're not a soldier," Akane stated.  
  
"That's why I'm going through the basic training course; so they can turn me into a real soldier." It was hard for Ranma to keep the bitterness from his voice.  
  
A million things were running through Akane's mind, but the most prominent thought was that she didn't understand one goddamned thing Ranma was saying.  
  
"Japan has cut all communications with the United States and we are about to sign a pact with China that would ensure that Japan sends troops to help China when they invade Siberia early next year."  
  
"How do you know that?" Akane asked.  
  
"I called Phil from the satellite phone in the office and was able to get him and Toni about four this morning. He called some people in the Pentagon and in Langley and found out that Japan has not been answering President Winnfield's calls and is only in conversations with Ma Zhisheng, the Chinese Premier. He also told me that all Japanese civilians are being urged to return to Japan and leave any American dependants behind."  
  
Akane paused to consider what Ranma said.  
  
"Ranma, Ishii was supposed to fly over hear today and come to see us, does this mean he won't be able to?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but what the hell does that have to do with what I'm saying?" Ranma asked, just a little annoyed.  
  
"I'm sorry Ranma, but this is just a little bit of a shock to me," Akane responded a little testily herself.  
  
Ranma frowned. "I'm not sure what I'll do," he admitted. "Part of me is telling me to get the hell out of Japan and take you and Kagome, but from what Phil told me, it would be impossible to sneak out of the country at that point. America is urging its citizens to leave Japan and not expect to return any time soon. Unless I can prove that I'm an American citizen, than I wouldn't have a chance."  
  
"But, even if we did have American passports Ranma, I wouldn't want to leave Akari and Ryoga here alone. And we also have to think about our family, Kuno, Ukyo and Konatsu. I'm not to sure what to do about Mousse, Shampoo and Cologne."  
  
Ranma snorted. "I hardly think that the Chinese government is going to go all the way into the mountains of Qing Hai just to get draftee notices to a few Amazons. Those three will be fine."  
  
"M-maybe you could change into a girl and when they come to get you, you can just pretend you're someone else," Akane said, desperation clear in her voice.  
  
Ranma noticed that and immediately wrapped Akane up into a bear hug.  
  
"Listen, don't you worry about anything baby, I'll think of something," Ranma whispered lightly into the top of Akane's head. "I'll call Phil later tonight and see if there's anything going on."  
  
"Okay," Akane said quietly as she fought the tears that threatened to escape her eyes.  
  
===============  
  
"You mean there's nothing I can do?" Ranma asked the telephone.  
  
*Sorry Ranma, but I would have to recommend that you simply go along with this for now. You could risk skipping out to the U.S. but that might make it hard for you to come back when all of this blows over,* Phillip said.  
  
"You really think this will all blow over?"  
  
*It should, were trying everything possible to keep war from happening over there. Right now we've got enough on our hands trying to get rid of the Taliban and the terrorists without having to have a full-blown war across the Pacific. I'm sure a few choice words should make the Prime Minister back down. China doesn't offer the best deal when it comes to being its ally.*  
  
"Okay, but what if those rumors are true, and the Prime Minister actually ordered the emperor's assassination? Wouldn't that show just how committed he is to this course of action?" Ranma said.  
  
There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone.  
  
*Ranma, just head off to Okinawa for now, and wait it out until this all blows over. I promise you that you will not have to join a war where you may be fighting people that you know.*  
  
As Phil trailed off, Ranma had a sudden horrifying thought. What if he were to meet Phil on the battlefield? Russia already had America's commitment in the case of China invading, and Ranma was sure that Special Forces types would be sent in to survey the area and scope out the enemy strengths.  
  
"Okay Phil, Merry Christmas, and thanks," Ranma said after a long pause.  
  
*Merry Christmas Ranma, give my regards to the others and your family.*  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, Ranma's getting drafted into a war between China, Japan, and Russia. Not a pretty picture. The name of the base in this chapter is actually a chapter used to train Japanese self defense forces, in both aviation and infantry. The story originally had more of the regular Ranma ½ characters being drafted, but I could tell that things would get much more complicated as the story progressed, especially the climax.  
  
This story is going to involve more of the infantry type of warfare instead of the armor tactical situations in Balance of Power. So you can expect some gritty scenes, especially one's from the opening days of the war, and it just might push the story up to an "R" rating, and I really don't want anyone to lose their interest in the story just because it gets more gory and more like an actual war novel.  
  
On a lighter note, I received a call from my husband, and he wished all of the readers a Merry Christmas. I would really like to get some more reviews, as the last ones were less than positive, except for a select few.  
  
Thanks to everyone who has read the story this far and a special thanks to everyone that has written a review, even if it's not a positive one. 


	6. Until the End Chapter 5

Until the End Chapter 5 Training for War  
  
Ranma hoisted his duffel bag to his shoulder and stepped off of the bus that had carried him and twenty other Japanese to Miyakojima Base, Okinawa. Following the directions that were posted on barracks and fences, Ranma found himself walking into a very poorly heated office with a fat Japanese man that looked to be freezing his ass off.  
  
"You the new recruits?" the fat man asked as he glanced up at Ranma and the others that could fit into the small building.  
  
"Yes, we just got in," Ranma said.  
  
The fat man looked annoyed and got to his feet.  
  
"You better add 'sir' to the rest of your replies private!" the fat man bellowed in Ranma's face, so loud that spittle flung from his lips.  
  
Ranma's first thought was to toss the small fat man over the desk and out the door but fought that urge down. He glanced down at the fat man's chest and saw the bar representing the insignia of a second lieutenant.  
  
"Sorry sir," Private Ranma Saotome said and saluted the fat lieutenant. The others followed suit.  
  
The fat lieutenant let Ranma stew for awhile before returning the salute. He reached down to his desk and grabbed a stack of papers and tossed them at Ranma.  
  
Ranma deftly caught them and glanced at the top page.  
  
"They're papers that will let you get your uniforms from the tailor shop once you get your stuff put away in the barracks, just hand one paper out to everybody and once you all get into uniforms, report back here and we'll get your training underway."  
  
"Yes sir," the collective group replied and quickly remembered to salute.  
  
On their way to the barracks that the recruits had been assigned, the worries began to spill out.  
  
"Oh god, I hope we aren't going to be sent off to war."  
  
"Almost every man in my entire community got one of those letters, I'm sure that means something."  
  
"I heard that what were doing has something to do with North Korea thinking about invading America."  
  
And of course, there were the false hopes.  
  
"If every man in your entire city got one of those letters, than I'm sure the JSDF has more than enough troops to do whatever their doing. We'll just have to wait here until they decide to let us go."  
  
Ranma didn't bother speaking to any of the men. And he certainly didn't want to tell any of the men about what Phillip told him the last time he had called.  
  
"The Prime Minister isn't answering the President's calls Ranma, looks like he's damn serious about this. The best thing for now is for you to just head out to Okinawa and report, if things are going to continue down this path, than my guess is you'll be headed into China and then Russia."  
  
"All American civilians have been ordered home by the President, and the ambassador and everyone else in the embassy has been called back to the States for 'consulting'. My guess is that the President doesn't want anyone in the line of fire if we have to invade Japan when this war gets blown out of proportion."  
  
"I'll call every day and check on Akari and Akane. I'm going to try and keep them posted on any type of developments I get concerning Ryoga, and I'm sure that they'll write you a letter containing that information."  
  
"This war is going to happen Ranma, whether we like it or not, and I'm afraid to say that you just might get hurt in it. If anything untoward should happen in Japan, your family and Akane's will be out of there as fast as possible. Akari and Ryoga Jr. will be out as well, even if it means I get in deep shit from everybody back here."  
  
That conversation had been very hard for Ranma, mainly because he had a very hard time keeping himself from crying. His fears about going off to war all by himself were very frightening. Phil may have been the only person that could have understood what Ranma was going through, but Ranma had not spoken a word of his fears to him.  
  
He was very much alone here, but in more ways than one. Because of what happened when he and Ryoga went to China with Phil and the 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion, Ranma knew exactly what it was like to get fired on and to take a life with a weapon. But Ranma knew he wasn't going into an armor unit, he was going into infantry, and he was bound to be put into the front lines.  
  
===============  
  
On the morning of December 23, the U.S. military bases stationed in Japan received a message from the Japanese Prime Minister. Kadena Base, Iwakuni Air Station, Marine Corps bases, Sasebo Naval Base, and Yokota Air Base, and the other, smaller U.S. stations received messages. They read:  
  
Dear American Capitalists:  
  
I, the Prime Minister of Japan, must ask that all American military bases vacate their personnel and return to America. For too long America has dictated to Japan about what they have to do and what rules they must follow. We will now shake the shackles of your oppression and allow ourselves the opportunity to produce our own destiny.  
  
Japan is a land for the honorable, and we must ask that you remove yourselves from our home. We will be moving on to our fate, and I ask that you step aside and allow us to meet that fate without any interference. If you feel that you must attempt to interfere, than you will leave me no choice but to remove you from my country forcefully.  
  
The decision is yours.  
  
===============  
  
"Has that goddamned fool got a hair up his ass!?" the President of the United States bellowed after reading the message that was delivered to him less than five minutes ago.  
  
The President did not speak using obscene words often, and when he did, all conversations stopped.  
  
The Secretary of State, Brian Murray, was the first to speak.  
  
"I believe this is Shizuko's attempt to get the message across Mr. President," Murray said. "He wants America out of Japan and he wants them out yesterday."  
  
"If he thinks he can just intimidate me with words than that jackass has another thing coming," the President snapped.  
  
"Well sir, maybe if we-"  
  
The Secretary of State was interrupted when the President's secretary buzzed through the phone.  
  
"The Japanese Prime Minister is on line one Mr. President."  
  
All eyes in the room turned to the small telephone that sat atop the President's oak desk, and to the light that was lit up signifying that someone was waiting on the other end.  
  
President Winnfield picked up the phone and punched the light and said, "President Winnfield."  
  
*It has been far too long since we last talked George,* the voice of the Japanese Prime Minister said.  
  
Anger overwhelmed the President.  
  
"What the hell are you thinking Shizuko!? You cannot simply break off all ties with us and make the statements that you have!"  
  
The President was about to say something else when he saw his aide signaling him to keep his temper in check. Hoping that it would keep him under control, the President hit a button on the phone so that the conversation could be heard by everyone in the entire room.  
  
*I am sorry you feel that way George,* Prime Minister Shizuko said, sounding contrite.  
  
"I will not order the removal of all American forces from Japan and that is final," the President said his voice firm and cold.  
  
*I didn't want to have to do this George but you have pushed me to my limit. If the American bases are not empty by this time next month, than I will be forced to use weapons of mass destruction.*  
  
A shiver ran down the spines of everyone in the room after the Prime Minister's words passed through the speakers on the phone.  
  
"He is mad," the Secretary of State said so quietly that the others barely heard him.  
  
The President, visibly shaken, turned back to the phone.  
  
"You are very much the fool Shizuko, Japan has no nuclear weapons."  
  
*Ah, sadly for you that is not correct. You have heard what I have said, now remove your troops or have all their deaths on your head.*  
  
The line clicked, and it was obvious the Prime Minister had hung up.  
  
The President raised his head from the phone and looked into the eyes of everyone in the room.  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
===============  
  
Ranma gazed at himself in the mirror. He was dressed in an impeccable uniform. It was stiffly starched, as if it had just come back from the dry cleaners.  
  
While the other men were getting dressed (they were not all in very good physical condition), Ranma walked out of the tailors barrack and took a walk around the compound. A bunch of Privates were doing quick time marches up and down the fields and Ranma was soon absorbed with watching them. They moved in perfect sync, almost as if there were strings tied to everyone's ankles.  
  
Finally he moved off and walked back into the building that had housed the fat lieutenant.  
  
"Private Ranma Saotome, reporting as ordered sir," Ranma said, stopping six inches from the lieutenant's desk and saluting. The fat lieutenant looked at him for a moment before returning the salute.  
  
"Don't you look splendid," the fat lieutenant said, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in his voice. "Since you were the first one done I'm giving you the honor of choosing what your group of soldiers will be doing."  
  
"I beg your pardon sir?" Ranma said, confused.  
  
"What would you like to do first, Private Saotome? Rifle training? Quick-time marching? You get to choose."  
  
"I would have to say rifle training sir," Ranma said, hoping that he had chosen right.  
  
"Things are a little fucked up at the moment so I'm not too sure if there will be enough weapons for the entire group so whatever men are left over just send them back here and I'll see that they keep busy."  
  
"Yes sir," Ranma said.  
  
"Get going Private," the fat lieutenant said.  
  
He was forced to ask directions from a couple of sergeants before he could find the range officer.  
  
A tall lithe second lieutenant was in charge of the firing lines and of training new recruits in the way of cleaning and firing weapons.  
  
Lieutenant Kono was his name and he had very sharp features. On first seeing the man, Ranma instantly thought of his friend, Ishii Inafune.  
  
"You guys the new recruits?" Lieutenant Kono asked when Ranma and the other soldiers approached. A few mumbled replies of 'yes sir' sounded and Kono nodded. "Well, come on inside, it's a little chilly out and we need to get down to business."  
  
He led them into the barrack housing nearby and led them to a large row of benches that would serve as their seats for the next few hours.  
  
"Were a little pressed for time, so it has been passed down from the higher ups that soldiers will need to be trained in firing and operating their firearms, as well as cleaning them. But as for the other stuff, like field training, you're going to have to learn as you go."  
  
Seated next to each soldier was the Famas, an assault rifle already popular throughout the modern world as a good standard weapon for infantrymen. Some of the soldiers were surprised to not see the Japan Type 89, the new standard weapon of the Japanese Defense Agency. Kono explained.  
  
"The 89 was a weapon for a peacetime army, not one about to go up against a real live enemy. The Famas is a good weapon, though I would have much preferred an M16A2 to use."  
  
Seeing that the other soldiers were looking at him oddly, Kono continued.  
  
"You men are being designated as the 106th Infantry Division. The first Japanese soldiers that will join China in entering Siberia. Did you not know that?" Kono asked, slightly startled.  
  
An eerie silence filled the room as the soldiers stared at Kono in shock. Ranma was the first to speak up.  
  
"No, sir, we were not aware that we were the invading force. All that we have been told so far is that we are to be joining the Japanese army against our will."  
  
Lieutenant Kono turned to Ranma and looked angry for a moment. He opened his mouth but closed it and shook his head.  
  
"Moving along, I will now demonstrate how you disassemble your weapon and how you will go about cleaning it."  
  
The afternoon passed quickly, with each soldier learning how to use his weapon. Ranma caught on quickly, and was able to assemble and disassemble his gun faster than any man in the division. Kono allowed Ranma to head out to the firing range and to fire a few rounds.  
  
The weather this year was unseasonably cold, and Ranma found himself trying to keep himself warm.  
  
He explained to the range master what lieutenant Kono told him and Ranma was soon out on the range, loading a magazine into the Famas.  
  
Taking aim in the target that rested almost seventy yards away, Ranma fired. The gun bucked, and the three round burst headed down the field and impacted the target, unfortunately, he had missed the target he was aiming at and had hit the target for the firing position next to him.  
  
"Shit," Ranma cursed and went about adjusting the sights. Thinking them to be exact, Ranma moved back into position. He fired again and this time the shot hit the arm of the target. He quickly finished adjusting the sights and fired the rest of the magazine.  
  
By the time the rest of the division caught up to him, Ranma had already fired seven magazines, rendering his target into an unrecognizable mound of paper and wood.  
  
Lieutenant Kono was quite surprised, and delighted. After setting up the rest of the division with the range master, Kono went about setting up some more targets. He moved Ranma to the end of the firing range and walked almost two hundred yards from him and tied a glass bottle to a string and hung it on a tree branch. It was a windy day, and the bottle swung with the motion of the wind.  
  
At two hundred yards, the bottle was invisible to the naked eye, but, most soldiers would be able to explain that it would not be an impossible shot, even if they could never make the shot themselves.  
  
Taking aim, and allowing his mind to do the work, Ranma fired once. Kono and Ranma ran down the field and saw the bottle. The neck of the bottle had been hit and it had exploded, sending the bottle to the ground.  
  
After seeing this, Kono came to the conclusion that Private Saotome was what is referred to in the military as 'a natural shot'. At two hundred yards, the bottle that Ranma had hit was invisible to the human eye, but Ranma's mind was able to work the problem through. This meant that Ranma was able to compute through his mind the time the bottle would take to swing back and forth with the wind, and also how long the bullet would take getting to the target. Kono himself was not a natural shot, he had to use his sights and get the gun lined up perfectly before he could be sure if he would actually hit the target.  
  
Lieutenant Kono grinned; he might have just found his candidate to be promoted to second lieutenant.  
  
===============  
  
A large problem soon arose for the men assigned the task of assembling a military force, large enough to invade Siberia along with China. Japan, after having a half a century without any military conflicts, and the delegation put before them that disallowed the country to form any kind of invading force; Japan did not have sufficient officers to lead the vast number of men that had been conscripted to fight. Senior officers were readily available, and they were quickly assigned duties. But there were a lot of empty slots for the role of lieutenants and captains.  
  
Before the conscription of the Japanese people, Japan had previously had a military force of only 147,000 personnel in their entire military. This was hardly the right number of soldiers to invade the largest country in the world. Added to the fact that of the 147,000 personnel in the army, at least one third of them were mechanics and clerks, men and women that would not be able to be sent off to war with the intended purpose to fight.  
  
Major General Jiro Ohata did not see this as a very difficult problem to solve. As one of the few men in Japan that actually had combat experience, he knew that men quickly learnt their jobs during war, because if they didn't they would wind up dead. He thus decided to do direct commissions, meaning that the enlisted men that went through basic training and showed a high degree of military intelligence would be promoted to second lieutenant, a rank that would allow them to lead men in battle.  
  
His order was quickly signed by the Prime Minister, who was willing to do anything that would ensure that Japan would not be embarrassed in their hour in the spotlight.  
  
The orders arrived at the bases that had been designated to train the conscripted men, much to the disgust of the regular army officers. Lieutenants needed to have at least some understanding of how to lead men in battle. Just because they could shoot a little straighter and run a little faster did not mean they could simply understand their roles as officers. But they did not complain, as the orders had come down from the highest position in the army.  
  
They then passed the word down to the men that were training the conscripted recruits. If any soldier showed a higher degree of military tactfulness, they were to be sent to see the post commander, where they would be given a short test and if they proved to be what the trainers had said, than they received the promotion to second lieutenant.  
  
The first recruit to be sent to the office of Brigadier General Hashimoto Ryutaro was Private Ranma Saotome. Private Saotome had been sent into General Ryutaro by Lieutenant Kono, the range master that had been assigned the duty of teaching the conscripted recruits how to use their weapons.  
  
When Private Saotome walked into General Ryutaro's office, the general had the moments thought that he looked to be about sixteen years of age.  
  
"I am going to excuse just this one time Private, because I understand that you have not received the proper training in military educate. But when you enter the office of a superior officer you are supposed to stop in front of his desk and salute, and say, 'Lieutenant Saotome, reporting as ordered sir,' and stay that way until the officer returns the salute and tells you to stand at ease," General Ryutaro said softly.  
  
"Sorry sir," Private Saotome said, sincerely embarrassed.  
  
"It is quite all right son, now, before we get to the reason you were asked to come here, may I enquire about your age?"  
  
"I'm twenty-one sir," Private Saotome said, still standing in the room.  
  
"You look like your sixteen," General Ryutaro said, but spoke again before Ranma answered. "Take a seat."  
  
Ranma complied and sat down in the chair facing the desk.  
  
For Ranma, the situation was extremely nerve racking. He was inside the office of a general, and it was only his first day in the army. Lieutenant Kono had simply taken him from the firing range and brought him to the commanding officer's office, refusing to tell Ranma what it was about.  
  
Ranma seemed to recall something from earlier.  
  
"Sir, did you call me lieutenant before?"  
  
General Ryutaro smiled. "Yes, and that name will only be able to stick if your able to do what I'm about to ask you." He looked at Ranma and saw that he was very confused. Taking pity on the young man, the general handed him the orders that had been issued by Major General Ohata. "After you read that, I'm sure you'll be able to understand everything."  
  
Ranma quickly read the document. Once he was finished, he handed it back to the general, his face like stone.  
  
"Sir, I'm not sure that I want to be a lieutenant," Ranma said uneasily.  
  
"At this point it doesn't matter what you want Lieutenant Saotome," General Ryutaro said, sternly, "The army has decided that they need more field grade officers and they are going to get them." Then his voice softened. "But don't worry, you seem like a great kid, and I'm sure you'll grow into the role."  
  
"What platoon am I getting?" Ranma asked, still trying to work out what was going on.  
  
"Do you remember the men that have been with you for most of today?" Ranma nodded. "That and a few others are going to be your platoon."  
  
Ranma spoke before he could stop himself. "Half of those men are in their thirties!"  
  
General Ryutaro smiled. "Yes, and I think even a few more are also in their forties."  
  
"But how can I expect them to listen to me, I'm young," Ranma protested.  
  
"A lieutenant us supposed to be young, Saotome," General Ryutaro said. "And the men will obey you, or they will face a court martial and be sent to the stockade."  
  
Ranma's mind was swirling. He was going to be a lieutenant! But he was going to have to go to combat, and also have the lives of other men resting on his shoulders.  
  
"Is it moot to point out at this point that I have no combat experience other than my own personal experiences?" Ranma asked lightly.  
  
The general smiled. "There are only a handful of officers in this army that have actually been in combat lieutenant, and they are far too old for combat. So yes, it is moot to point that out. Now, before I sign these papers and send you off to see your new platoon, I have to ask you, what did you mean by, 'your own personal experiences'?"  
  
It was Ranma's turn to smile. His mouth ran away from him again.  
  
"Did you ever hear the story about when the American 82nd Heavy Tank Battalion landed in China; they arrived with three Japanese civilians?"  
  
The general's mouth hung open and he stared at Ranma, flabbergasted.  
  
"You were there?" the general asked quietly.  
  
"Me and two others, we went over to try and get back the body of Seiji Inafune, who had been killed a month prior to the starting of the Pacific War."  
  
"Inafune, I thought the story was that he was killed by some Chinese militant rebels during a visit." The General said.  
  
"That was what the Chinese told everyone but it wasn't true. Seiji was killed by PLA soldiers when we were over there, collecting some information on the Japanese Yakuza's involvement in the Chinese black market. China kept his body until a few years ago, when Ishii, Seiji's son, won a court battle and got his body back."  
  
"Well, that's quite a tale my friend," General Ryutaro said, getting up from his desk. "If half of what you tell me is true, than you should do fine."  
  
Ranma nodded his head and got up; he saluted General Ryutaro and marched out of the office. He was stopped by the Sergeant Major at the secretary's desk outside and was handed the silver bars of a second lieutenant.  
  
"Congratulations sir," the Sergeant Major said.  
  
Ranma smiled at the man, truly beaming.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry for the late update, but I received the most wonderful Christmas present. Without any word beforehand, I opened the door to my house on Christmas Eve and found myself staring face to face with my husband. He had pulled some strings and gotten out of the Middle East for a week and a half. During that time I didn't let him out of my sight for a second.  
  
I hope you all understand, and for those that are a little angry about receiving an update just before they have to go back to work or school, I'm sorry, but my husband is far too bug a present for me to ignore.  
  
Reviews have been lacking, and I'm sure after a great Christmas and New Years, everyone will be in the spirit to review this new chapter, it's one of the best that I have written. 


	7. Until the End Chapter 6

Until the End Chapter 6 The Home Front  
  
Akane's footsteps fell heavily as she walked down the stairs of her home and into the kitchen. Christmas was only a few days away, yet nothing had been able to get her into the Christmas spirit as of yet. Her mind entertained her with thoughts of Ranma. She desperately missed him, and knowing that she may never hear from him again was destroying her. Akari had tried to help her, but Akane would not cooperate.  
  
"You're never going to make it if you keep acting like this," Akari had said numerous times.  
  
"I'm fine," Akane would always reply.  
  
The kids were worse, especially Kagome. She was relentless in her questions, wondering when her father would be coming home and when she would see him again. Akane could not answer her truthfully, so Akane told her that her father was out on a mission and he might not be back in time for Christmas. This upset Kagome and she shut herself in her room and would not come out, much to Ryoga Jr's dismay.  
  
Akane had received phone calls from pretty much everyone in her family, all asking questions about Ryoga. It seemed that Nabiki had been unable to keep the information given to her a secret. Akane was forced to talk to everyone, and she had been fine, until Nodoka wanted to talk to Ranma.  
  
"I'm sorry, he's not in," Akane answered shakily.  
  
"He's not there; well do you know when he will be back?" Nodoka asked innocently.  
  
Akane had burst into tears and said. "He's never coming back!"  
  
Luckily Akari had been nearby and she was able to get the phone from Akane and quickly apologize to Nodoka and tell her that she would call her back.  
  
Nodoka had taken the news of Ranma being conscripted badly, and was in a state much like Akane's when Genma finally pried her away from the phone and said goodbye to Akari.  
  
Things had gone drastically downhill from there. Akane had become unresponsive, staying in her and Ranma's room, crying. Despite the efforts of Akari and Ryoga Jr, Akane would not leave her room, and would only take her meals inside.  
  
Finally, after two days, Akane left her room.  
  
"Well, look who finally decided to stop pouting," Akari said when Akane walked into the kitchen.  
  
Akane threw Akari an angry glare and looked as if she might attack Akari.  
  
But she laughed instead.  
  
"Well, I'm sure that if Ranma was here would have made the snide comment that I have had enough beauty sleep to win the title as most desired woman in Japan."  
  
Akari chuckled along with Akane and she looked at her friend seriously.  
  
"Are you alright now Akane?" Akari asked. "The kids have been really worried about you and I don't know what to tell them. You can't be acting like that Akane, the kids need you now."  
  
"I know," Akane said tiredly. "But how would you like it if your husband was off about to fight some war?"  
  
Akari looked at Akane for a moment, than shook her head.  
  
"I don't Akane, but what I can tell you is that I know what it feels like to lose the man you love with only having one year with him and then spending four years raising the child he gave you alone, and then finding out that he might still be alive, and being submitted to torturous things by the people that have held him for over four years."  
  
A look of embarrassment crossed Akane's face.  
  
"I'm sorry Akari; I lost my head for a minute there."  
  
"Yes you did," Akari said. "But I'll forgive you if you agree to come over to your in-laws house for Christmas Eve."  
  
"Oh Akari, I can't there's just too much going on," Akane pleaded.  
  
"Akane," Akari said sternly. "You have to get out of this house, if you don't your going to get stir-crazy and wind up going insane. Now, you're either coming over to Nodoka's willingly, or I'm going to have to drag you out of the house and strap you into the car by myself."  
  
Akane looked at Akari and a fire flashed behind her eyes. Akari had begun training under Ranma shortly after she returned from the Wharton School of Business. Akari was a determined student, and she was a very quick learner. She may not be as good as Akane, but she would be able to put up a good fight.  
  
"Alright," Akane surrendered. "I'll go wake up the kids and you can get your driver over here and we'll head over."  
  
Akari nodded and reached for the phone sitting on the kitchen table. Akane watched as she dialed a number before leaving the room and heading upstairs. She opened the door to her daughter's room and saw Kagome curled up on the bed. Ryoga Jr was sitting beside the bed, his head resting on his knees.  
  
Akane gently picked Ryoga Jr up and kissed him on the forehead. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them.  
  
"Hey there cutie," Akane said gently.  
  
Ryoga Jr smiled at her. "G'morning auntie."  
  
Akane reached across the bed and slowly picked Kagome up and tucked her underneath her arm.  
  
"Let's let her sleep for a while longer," Akane said quietly.  
  
Ryoga Jr nodded and rested his head on Akane's shoulder as she carried them out the room and downstairs. Akari was waiting there with the children's jackets and mitts.  
  
"Shh," Ryoga Jr said, putting his finger to his lips. "Were letting Kagome sleep awhile longer."  
  
Akari smiled and helped him into his jacket, but her son insisted on doing up his own jacket. Akari patted his head and helped Akane dress Kagome for the cold weather outside. Once finished, Akari led them out of the house and to the waiting car outside. The driver was standing beside it, smiling as the people walked towards him.  
  
"Good morning ma'am," the driver said and opened the door to the limo so Ryoga, Akane, who was carrying Kagome, could get in.  
  
"Good morning to you to Ryu," Akari said. She glanced at the limo. "And where did you get this?"  
  
Ryu smiled. "Actually, I got a call from your company a week ago and they told me that in such cold weather, you should not have to endure the insides of the small sedan that I drove, so they had this shipped overseas to me. I admit it may be a bit much, but it is very roomy."  
  
Akari chuckled softly. "Looks like I can guess that this is the Christmas present from the other board members."  
  
Ryu's eyes lit up. "That reminds me," he said and reached into the passenger side of the limo and extracted a bag. "From me and my wife."  
  
Akari looked inside. It was filled with Christmas presents.  
  
"Oh Ryu, you shouldn't have," Akari said, emotion clear in her voice.  
  
He waved it off. "Hey, I love those two little ones like they were my own, and you and the Saotome's are the best people I've ever worked for. It is my pleasure to give to you."  
  
Akari smiled. "Well, now I know that you won't feel embarrassed when I give you your present come Christmas day."  
  
Ryu just smiled as Akari got into the limo.  
  
Kagome was asleep beside Akane and Ryoga Jr was gazing at the occupants of the limo with wide eyes.  
  
"Wasn't this nice of the board members?" Akari asked Ryoga.  
  
"Oh yeah!" he said, awe clear in his voice.  
  
The roads were clear, and the limo had little problem maneuvering down Nerima's crowded streets. Nodoka's home was a good distance away, and the long drive allowed them to check out the limo's luxurious options.  
  
Genma and Soun were standing by the front gate when the limo pulled up. They looked slightly surprised at the car but they shook their heads and chuckled a little.  
  
Ryu got out quickly from the car and was about to open the door when Akari opened it and stepped out with Ryoga Jr in her arms.  
  
"Getting a little slow Ryu," Akari said teasingly.  
  
"It's always nice to have someone keep me on my toes Ms. Unryuu," Ryu replied and he closed the car door as Akane stepped out. He turned to get back into the front seat when Soun called from the gate.  
  
"Don't even think about it Ryu, your spending this evening with us."  
  
Ryu shook his head ruefully and laughed.  
  
"Ah, and I believe I shall honor your request Soun," Ryu said and walked up to the older man.  
  
He shook hands with Soun and Genma and walked into the house.  
  
Nodoka was waiting just inside the door and quickly gathered up the two children in her arms and kissed them both.  
  
"Hello my little darlings," Nodoka said smiling grandly at the two children. She set them on the ground as they moved off to hug Genma and Soun. Gazing up at Akane and Akari, Nodoka's smiles faltered.  
  
"Hello Nodoka," Akari said, kissing her on the cheek as she set the Christmas presents on a nearby table.  
  
"Hello Akari," Nodoka replied. She stepped forward and looked at Akane.  
  
"Hi," Akane said quietly.  
  
"Oh my poor darling!" Nodoka wailed and enveloped Akane in a big hug, tears streaming down her face.  
  
Kagome looked over at her grandmother and mother and looked up at her grandfather.  
  
"Why are they crying?" Kagome asked.  
  
Genma looked down at Kagome and smiled uneasily.  
  
"I believe the easiest way to explain this is to tell you that the holidays are very emotional for women," Genma said.  
  
"Saotome," Tendo admonished, "That's not true."  
  
Ryu led the children into the living room and away from the scene at the front hall.  
  
===============  
  
General Ryutaro paced around his small office stopping in mid stride to check the time every so often.  
  
The leaders in Tokyo were proving to be very impatient in their requests for soldiers to be deployed alongside Chinese troops when the first invading force was sent into Russia. Despite the appeals of most officers that they needed more time to prepare, the orders came down that Japanese soldiers needed to be deployed before the month of January passed.  
  
But this was not the problem on General Ryutaro's mind.  
  
Oh shit! What the hell am I going to tell General Ohata? Ryutaro shouted in his mind. That Saotome boy sure laid one big goose egg in my lap.  
  
General Ryutaro was a career officer, but he had not served in battle once during his thirty year career. When he first joined the service in the seventies, Ryutaro had been assigned to the finance corps. Discovering that he was an absolute failure at using numbers, he had quickly gone to OCS and became an officer. He had risen quickly, and in only three decades he had the stars that most military men can only dream of.  
  
It wasn't that Ryutaro didn't trust the government; it was just that a man like Saotome, who had been in combat and survived, would prove to be an absolute asset for the Japanese army, if they had any chance in surviving the invasion into Siberia and the eventual backlash from the Americans.  
  
General Ryutaro stopped pacing. He turned to the document on his desk that he had just finished typing up, which concerned Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome's involvement in the military action undertaken by the Americans during the Pacific War.  
  
He grabbed the document and retrieved a lighter from his pocket.  
  
God speed, Saotome, General Ryutaro thought as the document burned.  
  
===============  
  
After an extravagant meal prepared by Nodoka Saotome, the group moved into the Saotome living room where the adults received stemmed glasses filled with champagne and the children received hot cocoa.  
  
As the evening wore on, Ryu was dismissed when he received a call from his wife.  
  
The children soon fell asleep and were put up in the guest room.  
  
"What a wonderful evening," Akari commented as she gazed out the window of the living room and into illuminated streets.  
  
"Quite," Soun commented as he took a sip from his glass.  
  
Nodoka turned to Akari.  
  
"Tell me Akari, have you received any more word about Ryoga?"  
  
A dark expression crossed Akari's face but quickly vanished.  
  
"No," she answered neutrally. "But with war threatening in Russia and with what is transpiring in Afghanistan, my friends in the U.S. have not had time to give me any information about Ryoga."  
  
An uncomfortable silence befell the room.  
  
A knock at the front door broke everyone from their thoughts and Nodoka quickly rose to get it.  
  
"I'll get it," Akane said and quickly dashed down the hall. She cursed herself for thinking that the evening could go that well; there was just too much going on.  
  
Before she could reach the door the person outside knocked again, only this time much louder.  
  
"Coming!" Akane called as she approached the door. Jeez, she fumed. The stupid jerk outside was going to wake the kids.  
  
Akane opened the door a little louder than she should have and the door banged against the wall.  
  
"I see the Christmas spirit is running rampant through the household," the man outside said as he removed the hat from his head and brushed some snow from his shoulders.  
  
"Ishii!" Akane cried and threw her arms around the man.  
  
"Well, that's a little more like it," Ishii Inafune said as he returned Akane's hug. He looked down at her and was surprised to see that Akane was crying. "Hey now, you don't need to do that just for my benefit."  
  
Akane laughed bitterly. "As pleased as I am to see you, these tears are because of the Japanese government."  
  
Ishii looked at Akane very seriously for a moment.  
  
"Was he called up?"  
  
Akane was surprised for a moment.  
  
"Y-yes, he went off about a week ago. He's in Okinawa."  
  
"Crap," Ishii said. "And here I was hoping that he could help me with this."  
  
"What do you mean?" Akane asked, closing the front door.  
  
"Phil hasn't talked to you guys at all?" Ishii asked.  
  
"No, I haven't heard from him since the day Ranma left."  
  
"Alright, that probably means it's already starting." Ishii saw Akane's confused look. "The United States knows about what Japan and China are planning and they are deciding if they should intervene and attempt to attack Japan and China directly. Phil's Green Beret's would most likely be the guys that would be sent in first."  
  
Akane didn't respond, and she led Ishii into the house.  
  
"Ishii!" Akari almost shouted and dashed across the room and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"Well now, I didn't think that I would receive such a nice reception from you," Ishii said. "Does this mean you forgive me for giving Ryoga Jr a sip of wine on his birthday?"  
  
Akari giggled. "I was angry because you let him take a swig. Don't play mister innocent by saying it was just a sip."  
  
"Alright I will surrender to whatever punishment you have been devising, but before you carry out the sentence I will pass on the information that I have been informed with when I first departed from the United States."  
  
Akari and Akane looked at him with curiosity.  
  
"Is everybody in bed?" Ishii asked, taking a quick look around the room.  
  
"Yes," Akari answered. "Nodoka just dragged Genma and Soun out of here because they were beginning to get a little tipsy."  
  
"Okay, I'll start from the beginning. About two days ago, I got a call from Phil and he asked me if I thought it would be possible for me to get into Japan. I told him that it would take some greasing of palms, but I should be able to get in on a transport flight in Canada. He called me again, about an hour later and asked me if I could maybe get over to Japan as soon as possible. I said sure and he informed me about the escalating situation between Japan and the United States. After that he asked me again if it was still okay for me to get over to Japan. I didn't like the idea of you guys be all alone in Japan with a war brewing so I decided to skirt across the Pacific."  
  
Ishii smiled at the two women and sat down by the table.  
  
"Akari, Phil also filled me in on what the situation is with Ryoga. I want you to know that I'm going to do everything I can to get him out of there."  
  
Akari looked like she was about to cry but she composed herself. "That's very sweet of you Ishii, but we don't even know if Ryoga is one of the prisoners."  
  
Ishii looked confused for a moment before he punched himself in the head.  
  
"Oh, silly me, I forgot the other piece of news. Confirmation arrived just before I left and there is indeed seventeen prisoners inside that prison camp and it was also confirmed that one of the men was a Japanese male."  
  
"Oh thank god," Akane said, letting out a breath of relief.  
  
Akari collapsed to her knees as tears streamed down her cheeks. She sobbed and Ishii quickly gathered her up into his arms.  
  
"There's just one other thing that I wanted to ask," Ishii said as he gently ran his hand over Akari's head. "I would have preferred if Ranma were here to help me, but I'll settle for some lovely ladies any day." Ishii's voice took a serious tone. "The Japanese government is breaking international laws with what they are doing, and are committing atrocities to its own citizens by conscripting them to an illegal war. I have managed to move some assets around I have even got some friends in the newspaper industry over here that will help me."  
  
"What are you going to do?" Akane asked.  
  
"I'm going to try and destroy the image that the government wishes to put upon this war. They are trying to make Russia and the United States look like enemies, but what I'm going to be trying to do is make the Japanese government look like your typical bad guy."  
  
Ishii sighed and glanced down at Akari and smiled as he realized she had stopped crying.  
  
"I'm asking a lot, but I would really appreciate your guy's help."  
  
Akari and Akane glanced at each other for a moment before turning back to Ishii.  
  
"You can count on us," they said in unison.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I did not receive as many reviews as I was hoping for, but hey, I understand. It was the weekend before everyone had to go back to work and I would like to think that you have better things to do than review the chapter. But you've got no excuses now, I'm hoping for at least double the reviews as last time. 


	8. Until the End Chapter 7

Until the End Chapter 7 Commitment  
  
The three weeks that Ranma spent in Okinawa passed quite quickly. He had had the responsibilities of a lieutenant explained to him so many times that he was quite sure that he was ready to have the responsibilities of a general explained to him.  
  
Lieutenant Kono had been a great help, giving him advice on some of the unwritten responsibilities that he would be responsible for in leading the platoon. Stuff like, listening to your NCO (non-commissioned officer), keeping your cool when facing your troops for the first time, and not letting your pride keep you from doing what's expected of you.  
  
Ranma had half expected that General Ryutaro would inform the government about what he had done during the Pacific War and that he would either be arrested or kicked out of the army. Ranma admitted to himself that he had been secretly hoping that the general would pass the information on. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to have happened.  
  
He had been called into General Ryutaro's office one last time before basic training ended.  
  
"Lieutenant Saotome Ranma reporting as ordered sir."  
  
"Stand at ease," the general replied.  
  
Ryutaro got out from behind his desk and came over to where Ranma was standing at parade ground rest.  
  
"The order to start moving troops into China came down yesterday, and your division on the top of the list."  
  
As his hopes plummeted, Ranma managed to maintain an impassive face.  
  
General Ryutaro's hand came down to rest on Ranma's shoulders.  
  
"Listen, I know the thought of going off to war sounds pretty horrible, but from what I've seen, you're going to do your job splendidly."  
  
Ranma managed a weak, 'yes sir'.  
  
As Ryutaro looked at Ranma's face, his heart went out to the young man. A part of him wanted nothing more than to rip the lieutenant's bars of his uniform and to send him back to Japan where his wife and daughter were obviously waiting. But he admitted to himself that he was also jealous of Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome, in that he was going off to war, and he was going to be waging war behind a desk.  
  
Smiling somewhat artificially, General Ryutaro walked back behind his desk and pulled open a drawer, extracting a bottle of sake and two glasses. He handed one to Ranma and filled the glass.  
  
"For the glory of Japan," General Ryutaro said and drank the glass in one pull.  
  
"The glory of Japan," Ranma mimicked and drank down his glass, his eyes stinging slightly from the drink.  
  
That had been two days ago, Ranma thought.  
  
He cast his gaze down towards the ground crews that were putting the finishing touches on the transport plane that would carry Ranma and the other men from his division into China.  
  
As the planes engines started, Ranma let his mind carry over the events that led him to this day.  
  
A gasp escaped his throat when his mind came to rest on Ryoga.  
  
===============  
  
"Today, American President Winnfield commented about the growing concerns he has with the economical problems in Asia. Recent reports have stated that over half the countries in Asia are now in international debt exceeding several billions of dollars. All of this and more coming up on the top of the hour."  
  
President George Winnfield shut the television off and tossed the remote on the table, crossing his arms across his chest and sighing audibly.  
  
Surprising himself, the President of the United States began to cry. He buried his head in his hands as his entire body shook with sobs. Slowly sliding off the couch, the President caught a glimpse of the last photo of his wife. He grasped the photo and looked into his dead wife's eyes, the tears beginning anew.  
  
"Oh Jenn," Winnfield moaned and sobbed again.  
  
After a few minutes, he collected himself and slowly sat back down onto the couch, thankful that he had dismissed the Secret Service agents. It had been almost a year since he had last cried like that, the last time being when he was alone in his wife's room in the hospital, a few minutes after the doctor's had failed to revive her.  
  
Wiping the tears from his eyes, the President took one final look at the picture of his wife and set it down on the table.  
  
Jennifer Winnfield had not been the typical First Lady of the United States, as she had actually had a job. Jennifer Winnfield had been a psychologist working with hospitals and law firms. This had posed a problem for the Secret Service detail assigned to guarding her, for the First Lady was around murderers and potentially deranged people. What made it even worse was the fact that Jennifer would not allow anyone to sit in on any of her sessions with patients. This evoked admiration from her husband, despite how worried he was of her all the time.  
  
President Winnfield had been unable to produce offspring, due to fertility problems that originated from his youth. Despite the shame that Winnfield had felt because of this, his wife had always replied in the same manner.  
  
"Don't worry yourself about it, all it means is I get to focus all my love on you instead."  
  
Feeling that his breathing had returned to normal, the President got up from the couch and walked across the room over to window that allowed him to look out on the busy downtown traffic.  
  
Jenn would not have wanted this to be the way the world was shaping up to be. War, terrorism, all these things were not new, but they were new to this generation. The men and women that participated in the Gulf War were able to experience a war against an inferior enemy. If China and Japan were to go to war, than America would be facing a far greater threat than they were now facing in the Middle East. Petty little terrorists would eventually be stomped out by American troops, but two countries holding nuclear arms and with little regard over the repercussions of using them was as close to doomsday as the world could get.  
  
"Alright," the President of the United States said aloud. "American soldiers will be pulled from Japan, and we will allow that smug bastard to think that he has won. But once we get assembled, were going to bring it all crashing down on their heads like a vengeful god."  
  
===============  
  
Prime Minister Shizuko sneezed after he was finished receiving the news about how the Japanese forces were assembling.  
  
"Someone must be thinking bad thoughts about me," the Prime Minister said to himself. He waved his secretary out of the room and picked up a pen and began writing. Once finished, he picked the paper up and read it aloud.  
  
"To all soldiers that have the honor of serving their country. In less than a week, you all will be in China, our great ally and friend, and will begin your final journey to the north, where you will liberate the land of Siberia from its Russian oppressors. I, the Prime Minister, have all the faith in the world that you will accomplish this task, regardless of what forces you meet. We, the people of Japan, make up the greatest nation in the world, and we will become even greater once you accomplish this task I have set before you. For the glory of Japan, you will become heroes."  
  
Setting the paper back onto his desk, the Prime Minister leaned back in his chair and smiled contently.  
  
"Perfect."  
  
===============  
  
General Phillip Parker IV was very tired. To prove to the new trainees that were just about to go through the training to become a Green Beret, Parker had made the decree that he would go through the course once again, just to prove that he was still man enough.  
  
This had seemed a good idea at the time, even though his wife had pointed out that he had actually not run the course before, and Parker stuck to his words. After the first day, Parker had come to the conclusion that he had more than one reason to thank General Hanrahan (recently retired). He had also reached the conclusion, after secretly skipping out of the morning five mile run, that he would be dead in less than two days if he was going to continue going through with his promise.  
  
Thus, with much pride-swallowing, Parker announced that he would be forced to stop his continuing of the training, because there was just too much paperwork that he needed to do.  
  
That last part was not a lie; he hadn't even been the commander of the base for more than a month, and he still needed to become accustomed to the way the place worked.  
  
The Special Warfare School had a very storybook beginning.  
  
The first usage of Special Forces had been during World War II, when paratroopers, usually a group numbering less than ten, would parachute behind enemy lines and work hard to disrupt weapons supply lines. This proved to be a very effective method of warfare, and the United States began spending money on developing soldiers trained in the way of Special Forces.  
  
Military politics soon disrupted the continued development of the Special Warfare School. With the commander of the Special Warfare School believing that the Green Beret program was under his control, but in all actuality the Green Beret's were only under direct jurisdiction from the Secretary of the Army. After numerous complaints filed by the commander of the Special Warfare School, the Green Berets were dropped, and the wearing of any foreign head device was forbidden. That ruling continued until President Kennedy took a particular interest in Special Forces.  
  
President Kennedy decreed that the Green Berets were to be separated from the other soldiers training to become paratroopers. The Green Berets were reinstated. The center was renamed the Kennedy Warfare Center, in honor of the man that saved the Green Berets from becoming just another paratrooper group.  
  
Green Berets were to carry President John Fitzgerald Kennedy to his grave after he was assassinated.  
  
Parker realized he had just inherited a very big responsibility, even bigger than the Task Force he was given command of during the Pacific War. If he screwed this job up, he would be forced to resign from the army, and he would be forced to spend his days sitting at home or playing golf while Toni went to work in the hospital.  
  
Toni had listened to his thoughts, and simply replied that he would do fine. This, surprisingly, had calmed Parker down incredibly. But the problem was still nagging him in the back of his mind, and it continued to bother him when he went into the office that morning.  
  
Upon entering his office, Sergeant Major Taylor was waiting for him, envelope in hand.  
  
"What's this?" Parker asked when he took the envelope from him.  
  
Taylor shrugged. "It was delivered by a courier. He said it was not to be opened by anyone but General Parker, which I assumed was you."  
  
Parker laughed and walked into his office, closing the door behind him. Setting the envelope down, he removed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. He returned to the desk and, using a letter opener, removed the paper inside.  
  
To: The Special Warfare School (Green Beret Commander)  
  
It has been decided by the President of the United States that all Special Forces teams that are presently serving in the United States will be deployed to Russia, in order to countermand any attempt from nearby countries in an invasion. More as it develops.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Hello, I realize this is a short chapter, but I couldn't really extend it anymore without making it at least ten times longer, which would be just too much for me to handle right now.  
  
Thanks to everyone that has been writing reviews. Sorry to everyone that has been requesting to be pre-readers; I just don't write that seriously to actually consider using other people to help. But thanks for caring so much to ask. 


	9. Until the End Chapter 8

Until the End Chapter 8 Promises Made  
  
"It's time to get up Ryoga!" Akari's voice rang out.  
  
Ryoga opened his blurry eyes and saw his wife standing in the doorway to their room. A smile lit up his face and he continued to lie in his bed.  
  
"C'mon Ryoga," Akari said, stepping into the room. "We've got to head over to Akane and Ranma's today, and I'm sure you don't want to be spending that time here in bed."  
  
Ryoga chuckled softly and spun around, grabbing Akari's waist and pulling her on top of him. A startled cry escaped Akari's throat as she landed with a thump on Ryoga's hard chest.  
  
"I think they would understand if we were just a little late," Ryoga said, allowing his hands to travel up the back of Akari's shirt.  
  
Akari blushed and shuddered a little but she still managed to keep her composure.  
  
"Now, now, Ryoga," Akari said lightly. "There's not going to be any time for that."  
  
Ryoga nuzzled his face in Akari's neck and allowed his hand to travel further up her back. "I think we could squeeze something in before it's time to go."  
  
A short wrestling match ensued and Akari wound up underneath Ryoga, her arms pinned above her head.  
  
"Well now," Ryoga said lightly. "What should I do with you?"  
  
Akari smiled. "Normally I would have a hundred suggestions for you honey, but for right now I'm going to have to ask you to release me from your lustful plans."  
  
"Alright," Ryoga relented, rising up off of Akari, but not before he could get a few squeezes of her chest in. "But I hope you can remember the way we left off."  
  
"Oh don't worry about that," Akari said, rising up from the bed, straightening a few strands of hair that had fallen over her face. "Now you get dressed and I'll go call Akane and tell her were on our way."  
  
Ryoga smiled at his wife and watched her leave the room. Shaking his head softly, Ryoga opened his closet and searched for some clothes to wear.  
  
As he descended the stairs, Ryoga saw Akari waiting for him, holding his jacket for him by the front door.  
  
"Come on," Akari said. "Akane told me that they have a surprise for us."  
  
Grumbling good-naturedly, Ryoga put his arms into the sleeves of the coach. "It better be a good surprise, especially since they have interrupted my lustful plans for today."  
  
Akari shook her head. "Is that all you can think about?"  
  
Quickly faster than Akari could follow, Ryoga had wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground.  
  
"And what else am I supposed to be thinking about with such a sexy wife?" Ryoga asked as he laughed cheerfully.  
  
"My god," Akari said laughing. "You're worse than Happosai."  
  
Ryoga set her on the ground, and took a moment to stare longingly into her eyes.  
  
"My beautiful wife," Ryoga said softly, running a hand gently down her cheek. Akari placed her hand over his and gently leaned her head into his hand. "I love you."  
  
Akari's eyes began to tear up and she smiled.  
  
"I love you too."  
  
Ryoga hugged her to him, feeling for perhaps the first time in his life, happy and content.  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga awoke when a scream came running down through his cell. He weakly raised his head and saw that the lights were finally working in his cell and that the cell across from his was now occupied with some of the prison guards.  
  
Ryoga let his mind move back to the memory of his dream. For the first time in awhile, he had actually dreamt about Akari. His heart ached in his chest. The dream had seemed so real, the touch of Akari's hands, and the feel of her body, it all seemed so real.  
  
As more screams echoed through his cell, Ryoga tried to keep the memory of Akari's body in his mind.  
  
I hate this place, Ryoga's thoughts screamed in his head.  
  
===============  
  
"But the troops haven't even finished their training yet, hell they haven't even made their first jump," General Parker said, somewhat angrily into the phone.  
  
*Your not being asked to take all the Green Berets general, all that was said is that you will need to be sending some A teams over to Russia. You of all people should understand the threat that China and Japan are posing, we need someone over there that can tell us just how many forces that are going to be necessary for us to end this situation as fast as possible,* the voice on the other end of the phone said.  
  
"Most of my experienced guys are over in Afghanistan right now," General Parker tried desperately to explain. "Most of my people haven't ever heard a shot fired in anger in their lives."  
  
*Look Phil,* the person on the end said, their voice stern. *I understand that this is coming right out of left field, but there is absolutely no debate here, the President wants soldiers on the ground over their and checking out what our enemies can do.*  
  
"But only a few A teams won't be able to do that," Phil protested. "And I desperately hope that you guys understand that."  
  
*I understand that we are stretched a little thin right now, but you have to understand that everyone is. With the war in Afghanistan we've spread all our resources out too thin, and now when were faced with a full blown out war, were going to be backed into a corner with nowhere to turn to. Right now, all we can do is put down some Special Forces and see just how determined the two countries are in taking Siberia, because I hope you understand that Russia will not be capable of stopping them once their inside her borders.*  
  
Phil sighed, he didn't want to admit it, but the Chief of Staff was right, what America needed right now was a way to gauge the enemies skill and size, and find out just how much force would be needed to take them down.  
  
"Alright," Phil relented. "You can give me the other details later, but I've got one other thing to ask. Am I going to be going over with them?"  
  
There was a slight pause on the other side.  
  
*It's your call, if you think you can do some good over there than go ahead, but otherwise, just send those guys over there and think about some ways for us to intercept them before they can claim victory.*  
  
Phil uttered his goodbyes and hung up the phone, he turned to look at Sergeant Major Taylor standing in the doorway to his office.  
  
"Go get me the information on all the available A teams inside the United States borders."  
  
"Yes sir," Taylor said and walked out of the office.  
  
Parker took another look at the paper sitting on his desk and uttered a disgusted noise. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Goddamnit," Parker muttered. The world just couldn't avoid war for more than two years, and now it looked like things were spinning greatly out of control and it was going to throw everybody off loop.  
  
"Oh well." Parker got up from his desk and walked out of his office, peaking his head around the corner to see if his secretary was still in her desk.  
  
"Carol," Parker called. "See if you can find Colonel Fulbright and ask him to come to my office as soon as possible."  
  
What we need right now, Parker told himself, are some insertion plans. Russia is a big country, and were going to have to find a way to allow that to work to our advantage. China is definitely going to be the leader here, and Japan will likely be the sacrifice. Japan's air force is in less than standard condition, and I doubt if they have any type of reconnaissance planes that we don't know about. So it's highly likely that Japan will be the first country across the China-Russian border, and that it will be crossed on foot. We can use that to our advantage, since they are not going to be expecting a large fighting force. Once they think that the entire trek into Russia will be a walk in the park, we start hitting them from all sides. This'll be difficult considering were only going to have a few A teams, but if we can stay hidden, we can make them think that they are up against an enemy at least five times the size that there actually up against.  
  
Colonel Richard Fulbright walked into Parker's office as he was going over the plans for the initial insertion and attacking tactics that the Green Berets would have to do. Colonel Fulbright was a tall man, nearly towering over Parker's six foot nine body.  
  
"Have a seat Rich," Parker said and indicated the chair in front of his desk.  
  
Colonel Fulbright sat without speaking a word and waited until Parker spoke.  
  
"You were out training the guys in parachute jumping?" Parker asked.  
  
"Yeah, a couple guys experienced vertigo on the rappelling tower yesterday and I wanted to go over some of the things you are supposed to do when you start to feel the effects."  
  
Parker nodded his head, he then handed Colonel Fulbright the paper that had been given to him by Sergeant Major Taylor that morning.  
  
Fulbright scanned the paper quickly, and handed it back to Parker without any reaction showing on his face.  
  
"Well?" Parker asked, his eyebrows raised.  
  
"This isn't something that were going to be able to think through in such a short amount of time general, we'll need at least two months to think up the insertion and attack methods that we will have to train our men in even before we start thinking of actually acquiring the available aircraft and gear that we'll need to head over to Russia. We need at least a three month extension on that timeline, and even with that much time were bound to be cutting things drastically short."  
  
Parker nodded his head. "That's what I was thinking when I called the Chief of Staff, where I had it explained to me that the President was the one to make this decision, and unless I wanted to explain the problems to him, than I would be wise to keep my mouth shut and to get my Green Berets trained and ready to go in two months."  
  
"Impossible," Colonel Fulbright said simply. "We will need two months to think about trying to find an insertion plan that will allow us to enter Siberia without the Chinese or Japanese noticing, and then we have to think about how were supposed to recon the enemy and stall them for as long as humanly possible. Two months will only give us that much, and unless the Chief of Staff thinks that we can fight them without any actual troops, than he just has to give us more time."  
  
Parker nodded his head, agreeing with what Colonel Fulbright was saying.  
  
"Right, now what I want you to do is call over to the Special Warfare school, and to get Lieutenant General Moore on the line and I want you to explain to him what you have just told me and then I want you to ask him to phone up the Chief of Staff and to kindly explain to him that unless he wants to send our A teams to their deaths, than were going to need more time."  
  
"Are you sure that's wise," Colonel Fulbright asked. "General Moore might be offended that his paratroopers weren't the ones to get the job and he'll tell us to go and screw ourselves."  
  
Parker smiled. "Don't you worry about that, General Moore is a soldier first, and a paratrooper second, he'll understand what the situation is and he'll give the Chief of Staff hell."  
  
Colonel Fulbright nodded and got up from his seat and left the office.  
  
Just as Fulbright left, Taylor returned to the office, carrying a thick folder.  
  
"Here you are sir; inside of that folder contains the dossiers of every Green Beret stationed in this country, from where he was born, to what his shoe size is."  
  
"Gee thanks, I think," Parker said as he took the folder and glanced at it. "Now it looks like I've got some bedtime reading."  
  
===============  
  
It had been three days since Ishii had arrived in Tokyo, and it had been three days since he had asked Akane and Akari to help him in his attempts to bring down the Japanese government. During those three days, Ishii had yet to make a single phone call or even leave the Saotome household. This had begun to make Akane and Akari somewhat 'edgy' and they decided to confront Ishii about it.  
  
Ishii was, at the moment, sitting inside the living room, watching television. To be exact, he was watching NFL football, which the Saotome's had access to because of satellite, which had actually been given to them from the firm that Ranma, Akari, and Ishii owned. The real price of the satellite had not been given to Ranma or Akane, because Ishii had predicted that they might have found twenty thousand dollars an expensive price for satellite.  
  
As Akane and Akari entered the living room, Ishii was explaining the finer points of the role a defensive back has to Ryoga Jr and Kagome.  
  
"And when he gets free of the rusher then-" Ishii cut off his explanation when he noticed Akari and Akane standing beside the couch.  
  
"Mommy!" Kagome exclaimed. "I want to be a defensive back!"  
  
Ishii laughed somewhat nervously as he tousled Kagome's hair.  
  
"She's just joking," Ishii told the two women who were now shooting death glares at Ishii.  
  
Ryoga Jr spoke up. "And I want to be a quarterback!"  
  
Ishii flashed a horrified expression at Ryoga Jr and turned back to the two women.  
  
"Heh, he's just joking too." He turned to the two children. "Alright guys, how about we go get ready to go to the park?"  
  
"Yeah!" the two children exclaimed and ran out of the room.  
  
"Ishii," Akane said after the children had left. "We need to talk."  
  
"Look, if this is about the kids wanting to be football players I'm sorry, I didn't think that they would get so obsessed with it."  
  
Akane shook her head. "It's not about that, though we will be having a talk later about that, it's about what you were talking about on Christmas."  
  
Realization dawned in Ishii's eyes. "Oh, well don't you two worry; I've got everything under control."  
  
"But you haven't done anything!" Akari nearly shouted.  
  
"Is that what this is about?" Ishii asked after a short pause.  
  
"Yes," both girls replied.  
  
To Akane and Akari's annoyance, Ishii started to laugh loudly.  
  
Once he had finished laughing Ishii got up from the couch and hugged the two girls.  
  
"You two are absolutely wonderful!" Ishii said and released them from his hug. "The reason I haven't been doing anything yet is because I still have to wait for all the others to get here. Remember, it took me almost two weeks to get here from the U.S. and that also took me bribing almost fifty people. The others should be here soon, and then things will start to happen relatively fast."  
  
Akane and Akari looked a little dubious but nodded their heads anyway.  
  
"Come on, let's take those guys to the park, and I promise that things will start to happen soon."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Hi everyone. For those finding the NFL mentioning in here a little odd, too bad. My favorite team won yesterday and I just needed to put a little football into this story. And yes, even though I am a woman I do enjoy football. For all the girls out there, take the chance, football is a great game.  
  
Alright, back to business. My god, did I offend everybody or something, only two reviews. Was the last chapter horrible or something.  
  
I'll forgive you, but I want to see at least seven or eight reviews for this chapter. Until I get that many there will be no new chapters. Oh, I can't do something like that. I'll release a new chapter in one week, but if I do get a lot of reviews I'll release it a lot sooner.  
  
Oh yeah, wasn't that dream sequence Ryoga really sweet? Don't expect to be seeing Phil any time soon, he's going into the planning stages right now so he might not be in the story for the next few chapters. 


	10. Until the End Chapter 9

Until the End Chapter 9 Sabotage  
  
Akane smiled demurely at the three men that entered through the front door, brushing at the snow that had collected on their shoulders.  
  
"Welcome, please come in, Mr. Inafune is waiting for you in the living room."  
  
The men bowed and followed Akane into the living room. Inside was Akari, who was serving tea and some food to the men that were gathered inside. Ishii was at the head of the table, talking softly to another man that was acquiring some very odd looks from the other men.  
  
Akane moved quickly into the kitchen and grabbed another tray containing teacups and snacks for the new guests. She reentered the living room and handed out the tea and food.  
  
Ishii glanced up at Akane.  
  
"Has everybody been served?"  
  
"Yes," Akane said.  
  
Ishii nodded his head and turned to regard the men that were gathered around the table.  
  
"Well, I trust you all arrived under the most pleasant circumstances."  
  
The comment garnered a few snorts and sarcastic replies from some of the men sitting around the table.  
  
"It would have been easier if we had not been forced to sneak into our home country on a barge ship, with the threat of the ocean freezing and us getting stuck in the middle of the Pacific," one man commented from the other side of table.  
  
Ishii smiled. "Well, all it means is you were able to get here faster."  
  
"True," the man on the other side admitted.  
  
Ishii slapped his palm onto the table, signaling for all conversations to stop.  
  
"Alright, before we begin, I would like to introduce you all to someone," Ishii said and turned to the man sitting beside him. He was also the man that had been acquiring all the odd looks from the other men. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet, Secretary Kimura, the man who runs the Japanese public relations office."  
  
Twelve unbelieving faces stared back at Ishii and the man for a moment. At least, ten faces did, Akane and Akari were very quick to respond.  
  
"Oh my god! It is you!" they exclaimed and dashed to Secretary Kimura's side and enveloped him in a fierce hug.  
  
Even more bewildered looks came across the table. Ishii was oblivious, as he watched the two women cry as they held Isamu Kimura.  
  
"I think we need some explanations Inafune," one of the men said softly.  
  
"Of course," Ishii said, turning away from the scene. "I'll start at the beginning."  
  
===============  
  
Ranma watched silently as the Chinese officers directed the Japanese soldiers through the camp.  
  
After a quick layover in Beijing, the military transport plane flew the remnant of the Japanese infantrymen to Harbin, a city less than five hundred kilometers from the Chinese-Russian border. Though Harbin was a small city, the Chinese military leaders had decided that the small town would fit perfectly as a remote temporary base for all soldiers about to invade Russia. Although the decision had come very last-minute, it had proven to be a smart move, as the Russian satellites had been concentrating on central China, searching all major military bases for any unusual activity.  
  
Ranma wasn't very impressed with the city; it looked like it could have been built fifty years ago, when communism was first beginning to start. As typical to most cities that were a good distance away from Beijing, it was about to fall apart. Buildings were unsightly messes that looked to have been designed by a drunken architect, and the roads were chipped, and potholes were scattered about.  
  
A deep sigh escaped his throat when his name was called for roll call. His commanding officer, a colonel Jin-something, looked at him with an angry glare and Ranma smiled and saluted.  
  
"Here sir!" Ranma said crisply, though he felt like collapsing. The flight here had been anything but peaceful. The airplane seemed to have been built in the cold war, and the engine sounded like someone had stuffed a wrench into it. Sleep had not been an option on the entire thirteen-hour round the clock trip. Appealing to his CO wouldn't have been an option; Ranma had already come to the conclusion that the man would not take pity on his situation.  
  
As the roll call moved further down the line, Ranma caught a cursory glance from one of the Chinese captains standing beside the colonel. Ranma smiled a little uneasily and tried a jaunty wave. The captain did not return it, but he did avoid looking at Ranma for the rest of the short meeting.  
  
As the colonel dismissed the troops, Ranma realized that something was expected of him. He turned around and saw a group of men, all ages varying somewhere between eighteen and twenty-nine. They were looking at him expectantly.  
  
Lieutenant Ranma Saotome cleared his throat and smiled a little uneasily at the men.  
  
"I presume you guys are going to be my unit." Ranma said, it was more of a statement than a question.  
  
One of the older looking men walked up, Ranma came to the conclusion from the stripes on his arm that this man was his NCO.  
  
"Good morning Sergeant," Ranma greeted a little bit too cheerfully. "Do you think you could introduce me to these men?"  
  
The sergeant gave Ranma a sullen glance before nodding.  
  
"Of course sir," he said and turned his back to Ranma. His voice bellowed. "Platoon! Formation!"  
  
The other men, hearing the tone in the sergeant's voice, quickly formed up in a line and stood at attention. Ranma walked up to the man on the end of the line and smiled at him. The man smiled back, if a little uncertainly.  
  
"Private Nobunaga," the sergeant said in a clear voice from beside Ranma.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you Private Nobunaga," Ranma said sweetly and shook the man's hand.  
  
The next man looked like he was at least five or six years older than Ranma. Ranma was now the one smiling uneasily.  
  
"Private Seijiro," the sergeant said.  
  
Ranma shook the man's hand, a little uneasy.  
  
As he made his way down the line, Ranma recognized some looks of disbelief on some of the soldier's faces. It made him wary at first but it soon became very annoying.  
  
"What!?" he asked suddenly. "Why the hell are you looking at me like that!?"  
  
A few of the troops turned their heads to the side to avoid looking at him, but a few remained staring at him.  
  
"Well, you see sir," a private began. Ranma had already forgotten his name. "It's just that, we recognized you as one of the men that went through the training program at Okinawa, but you were a Private. We know about the promotion campaign, but I guess were a little uneasy about being led in combat by someone who is a lieutenant only because he can shoot straighter than the rest of us."  
  
Absolute silence fell over the men. A few men shifted uncomfortable, and the NCO made it clear that he was very angry.  
  
"You little shit!" the sergeant said angrily and reached forward to deck the private but Ranma quickly stopped him.  
  
"It's alright sergeant," Ranma said calmly. He turned to the private. "Well, I understand your uneasiness Private, but I hope you can understand that I didn't have a choice in becoming a lieutenant, or a platoon leader. This is what fate has given me, and I'm going to try my hardest to become the best goddamned platoon leader in this entire regiment. If any of you have a problem with being in this platoon, then I recommend going to the CO and explaining to him your problems and you should be able to get a transfer. I promise that I will bear no man any ill will if they decide to leave this platoon."  
  
He turned away and looked at the sergeant, who was staring at Ranma, and smiled.  
  
"Lead them out into the barracks please Sergeant," Ranma said and walked off.  
  
I almost lost it, Ranma thought. I wanted to rip into that skinny little bastard and beat the shit out of him. I've got to stay calm, if I go and lose my head it'll mean more than just my life is on the line, it'll be the lives of all those guys. I don't want to have anyone's deaths put over my head.  
  
The day went fast, and it was already dusk when all the troops were able to have some free time to look around the base.  
  
Ranma avoided contact with his platoon, and disregarded any offer to get some supper in the mess hall. He soon found himself walking around the officer's barracks. After walking for a few more minutes, Ranma had the distinct feeling that he was being followed.  
  
Thinking quickly, Ranma slipped up onto the roof of a nearby barrack and carefully looked over the edge of the roof to see someone come around the corner and look quickly to see if he was there.  
  
The man had a handgun, but it was in a holster and the safety strap was still securing it. Ranma concluded that it would be safe to approach him.  
  
Leaping down from the roof, Ranma approached the man, who was peeking his head around another corner to look for him, and tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Looking for someone?" Ranma asked lightly as the man jumped in surprise.  
  
As the man spun around, Ranma recognized him to be the Chinese captain that had been staring at him during the procession that morning.  
  
The captain looked to be contemplating what he should do, and Ranma decided to help him out.  
  
"Is there some reason you were following me sir?"  
  
The captain shot Ranma a death glare and tried to stand up straight, though he looked to still be on the edge after Ranma had surprised him.  
  
"I know you," he said in broken Japanese.  
  
"I beg your pardon sir?" Ranma asked confused.  
  
"You were with the Americans when they come into our country before. You were prisoner," the captain said accusingly.  
  
Ranma's heart nearly stopped.  
  
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about sir," Ranma said to gain more time to recover from the shock he just received.  
  
The captain shook his head. "You were with the other Japanese man, the one we shot."  
  
The captain said exactly the wrong thing to say at that time.  
  
Ranma's hand lashed out in a blinding arch and he wrapped his fingers around the Chinese captain's throat. His other hand reached forward and removed the captain's pistol from his holster and he threw it behind him.  
  
"You. Son. Of. A. Bitch." Ranma said slowly, forcefully, as he strangled the life from the captain. As the captain tried to swing a fist at Ranma, Ranma's other hand came swinging forward and hit the captain in the stomach, with so much force the captain coughed up blood, which splashed over Ranma's face and tunic.  
  
The captain's eyes were wide with fear, and he slowly began to realize that Ranma was not relinquishing his hold on his throat. Tears rolled down his cheek as he tried another punch at Ranma, only to have his fist caught in Ranma's free hand and crushed in an amazingly strong grip. He felt the bones snap.  
  
Suddenly, the look of rage disappeared from Ranma's eyes, and was replaced with one of horror. He released the captain's hand and removed his hand from his throat.  
  
Ranma looked down at his hands as if they were from a different person.  
  
The captain had passed out, whether from fear or pain, Ranma did not know.  
  
He sank back against one of the officer's barracks and placed his head in his hands and began sobbing.  
  
===============  
  
Akane looked around in disgust as she began cleaning the room after the 'guests' had finished their celebration. It was close to one o'clock in the morning, and Ishii had left the house with the other men, tossing back a reply that he would be back in the morning. Akane guessed that the real reason he left was because he did not want the responsibility of cleaning up after the other men.  
  
Akari entered the room, carrying a few trays to carry out all the tea cups and sake glasses. She looked over at Akane and smiled.  
  
"Do you think this is the big role that Ishii said we were going to be playing in his plans?"  
  
"It better not be," Akane said. "Otherwise I'm going to turn him in."  
  
Akari laughed and patted Akane on the back.  
  
"Well, at least everybody was in good spirits," Akari said.  
  
"I think that translates to mean 'at least they didn't get so drunk they began breaking things'," Akane said, but she was smiling.  
  
As they began to clean up, they heard the front door open and someone come in.  
  
Akane got to her feet and walked out into the hall, ready to give Ishii a verbal beating. Instead, she was greeted with Isamu Kimura.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Kimura, a pleasure to see you again."  
  
Kimura laughed. "What's with the formalities Akane?"  
  
Akane blushed a little in embarrassment. "Well, I can't believe I wasn't able to recognize you when I first saw you. You were so important with everything happening before, and just can't believe that I would forget you."  
  
Kimura laughed again and put a hand on Akane's shoulder.  
  
"It's alright Akane, I forgive you. Ishii has told me everything. I want to tell you how sorry I am about Ranma, but if his luck is anything like his life, he's going to come out of this thing a decorated hero."  
  
"Thank you Kimura," Akane said. She smiled at him. "May I ask why you decided to come back; I would have figured that you would be out with Ishii."  
  
A grin appeared on Kimura's face. "Well, Ishii is actually, over at one of those guy's houses. He told me that he just really didn't want to be faced with cleaning up after the party."  
  
Akane's face turned red. "That-that jerk! I'm going to skin him alive when he gets back here."  
  
Kimura laughed again. "And the answer to your question is, I didn't think it was right to leave you all alone with only Akari and you to clean up a mess from so many people."  
  
"Thank you Isamu," Akane said.  
  
Kimura smiled at her and allowed Akane to lead him down the hall and into the living room. He greeted Akari and began to help cleaning.  
  
It took nearly two hours to complete the cleaning, and by the end, the three of them had begun to feel the effects of the endless night.  
  
After a long yawn, Akane asked Kimura, "Why are you joining Ishii and those others Kimura? Won't this jeopardize your position in the government?"  
  
Kimura regarded her for a moment before motioning for them to follow him. He led them into the kitchen and motioned for them to sit at the table. He poured three cups of coffee and handed them out.  
  
"If were going to be asking such serious questions were all going to need to be awake," Kimura said as he took his seat.  
  
"To answer your question Akane, I am helping Ishii and the others for the exact same reason they are doing what they are doing. I don't believe in this war, and I definitely don't believe in the Prime Minister. The man is a lunatic, and I have many sources that have been whispering that it was the Prime Minister that ordered the assassination of the Emperor."  
  
A gasp came from Akane and Akari.  
  
"Why would he do such a thing?" Akane asked, horrified.  
  
"The Emperor had found out that the Prime Minister had secretly developed nuclear weapons, and was planning on using them to threaten the United States and Russia. He also learned of the Prime Minister's goal to invade Siberia, along with China. The Emperor was supposed to write the American President about what he found out, but no one knows if he did or not. But the Prime Minister must think that he had the Emperor killed before he was able to send the letter."  
  
"This was the thing that first convinced me that the Prime Minister needed to be removed from power. The next thing was what happened only two weeks ago. Apparently the Prime Minister has been having every sector of the government carefully inspected to make sure that everyone is being loyal to the government. In a move that would make Joseph Stalin proud, he has had almost seven hundred government officials arrested, simply because he 'suspected' that they might not be loyal. He is trying to turn this country into a communist state, one that he will have absolute control over."  
  
"Japan can't survive as a communist state. If the Prime Minister succeeds, than we are going to lose the support of all superpowers, America, Canada, Russia, Britain; all of them are going to leave us high and dry. The only country on our side at this point is China, and probably some Middle Eastern countries, but that's about it. And once they're through with us, China is going to eliminate us as an ally. The Prime Minister of course doesn't see this. He believes that simply because he has developed nuclear weapons he can get away with anything. When he is finally proven wrong, it's going to be costly, but not to him, it will be costly for the people of Japan."  
  
"I am not going to wait around and see if we eventually do get wiped out, I'm going to fight back. Even if it is as simple as getting the information to the public, I'm not going to sit back, I'll never allow this country to fall back into the dank pit that it used to be."  
  
"The Prime Minister will pay for what he is trying to do to this country, and he will get what he deserves, whether it be from the people, or from other countries, he will not be allowed to continue on the path that he is on.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Whew! Sorry about the long delay, writer's block struck me down like a thunderbolt.  
  
For those wondering who Kimura is (you obviously didn't read BoP, or maybe you just have really bad memories) I'll give you a quick recap.  
  
Isamu Kimura is about thirty one years old in this story. In Balance of Power, he was a member of the Yakuza. He had a sexual encounter with the Oyabun's (the leader of the Yakuza) daughter, and was blackmailed into staying in the organization. When he met up with Minoru (you should definitely remember him) he was in China. They followed Ranma, Ryoga, Akane, Akari, Phil, Ishii, and Seiji to Qing Hai, and eventually to Jusenkyo. Once there, Kimura betrayed Minoru, and joined Ranma and the others, just when the PLA showed up in Jusenkyo and a firefight ensued. Seiji was killed during it, and Kimura went to America, where he was used as an informant for the United States government. He found out about China's plan to assassinate the Taiwanese president, and the United States was able to stop it. He then worked with the American and Japanese police to break down the Yakuza and have the organization destroyed. He then married the Oyabun's daughter and started a career in politics.  
  
Whew! There you go.  
  
Ranma is experiencing a great deal of stress. But don't expect him to snap like he did in Balance of Power. He's just going to be very cranky for the next chapters, and depressed.  
  
Oh, and I sort of lost the notes my husband left for me on this chapter, so I had to improvise. That means that if anyone has a slight problem with the military aspects in the first part, it's my fault, and as soon as I can recover those files with the notes, I'll change it.  
  
Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. 


	11. Until the End Chapter 10

Until the End Chapter 10 Consequences  
  
Ranma fell asleep shortly after the MP's (Military Police) showed up and arrested him and the captain.  
  
Apparently someone in a nearby barrack had heard the short scuffle and called the MP's, for by the time Ranma had begun crying, the police were there and asking questions. Ranma had been unable to answer them. He had also been unable to get up from the ground.  
  
Under normal procedures, Ranma would have been interrogated right away, and when they found out that he had indeed inflected the wounds upon the Chinese captain, he would have been arrested and placed in a cell. But a very sympathetic guard house officer had Ranma placed on a cot, with one guard placed outside the door. This did not bother Ranma, as he had simply gone into a state of utter depression.  
  
The sympathetic guard house officer tried to get Ranma to talk about what happened. He very gently explained that the Chinese captain had accused him of attacking him when he was walking out of his barrack, and if Ranma wouldn't tell his side of the story, than he would be arrested on the charges of assault on a superior officer.  
  
Ranma understood what he was being told, but he couldn't talk. He merely asked very quietly if he could lie down for awhile.  
  
When he was alone, Ranma was finally able to think things through.  
  
I snapped. I would have killed that officer if it hadn't been for the noise created from a door slamming on a nearby barrack, Ranma told himself. He tried to shake himself out of his stupor. I'm losing it.  
  
If it happens like last time, I may kill some innocent people, and even some men that I have come to like. I thought I could handle this, but it's too much. The responsibility is horrible, how can I be responsible for other people's lives, especially when I can't even get a good grip over my own. Well, at least it won't matter now; they'll lock me up for beating that Chinese sonofabitch up. Hopefully I won't spend too much time in prison, maybe I'll get out on some technicality.  
  
Ranma closed his eyes and lay back on the cot. He let a deep sigh escape his throat.  
  
"This can't be my life," Ranma groaned.  
  
Just as sleep began to claim him, a very loud knock sounded at the door, startling Ranma.  
  
"Mail call!" a gruff voice called from outside the door.  
  
"What the hell?" Ranma asked as he moved to the door, opening it.  
  
The sergeant from Ranma's platoon stood at the door, a large smile playing across his face. He held an envelope in his right hand which was resting by his side.  
  
"Good evening sir," the sergeant said. Ranma realized with shame that he did not even know his name.  
  
"What brings you out here sergeant?" Ranma asked, trying to sound relaxed. His effort failed miserably.  
  
"Well sir, I was called before the CO today and he had a special task for me."  
  
Oh shit, Ranma thought. I'm in big trouble.  
  
"It seems that there was a situation and some very special procedures were needed," the sergeant said. Then, as if he had read Ranma's mind, he said, "Nothing to worry about sir, it just seems that a General Ryutaro asked that this letter be passed onto you. You're actually pretty lucky, all other mail addressed to soldiers is being held and edited for proper reading."  
  
The sergeant raised his arm and handed Ranma the letter. Just as Ranma was about to turn around, he leaned forward to whisper in Ranma's ear.  
  
"You don't need to worry about being brought up on any charges sir, a friend of mine in the mail office just accidentally 'lost' the letter sent out by the CO to Japan, and he 'forgot' to report it. So it may be about two or three weeks before anyone notices."  
  
Ranma guessed that the sergeant took a special joy out of seeing the shocked expression on his face, judging by the smile that lit up his face. The sergeant nodded his head once and walked off down the hall.  
  
Ranma, who was still shocked, closed the door and walked back to his cot. He sat down with a thump and stared dumbly at the letter.  
  
It was addressed to Private Ranma Saotome, and there was a small note attached to the envelope. He removed it.  
  
This letter just happened to be passed under my desk, and I happened to think that I was due for my annual good deed for the week. Maybe if you're lucky, your reply to this letter will pass by my desk at the next one.  
  
General Ryutaro  
  
Ranma smiled and set the note aside, he carefully opened the envelope and pulled the letter out. Just by smelling it Ranma knew who it was from. Akane.  
  
He began reading.  
  
Hello my dear sweet husband;  
  
I have taken the time out of my busy day of sitting in the house to write you this letter. As strange as it may sound, I sort of miss you, and I have even begun thinking that just maybe I might love you. But we both know how impossible that is. Still, maybe there is something going on between us.  
  
Okay, now that I've gotten all these sarcastic feelings out of me, I think I can tell you just how much I really miss you. The house has never been emptier, without your presence it feels as if someone has ripped the life out of the entire community. And to me it seems as if someone has taken the most important thing away from me.  
  
I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will be waiting for you, and nothing you can do will ever change that.  
  
I have an ulterior motive for writing these loving words. By filling you with the love of your wife, I'm hoping to deter you from sampling any of the local flavors (you know what I mean).  
  
I know I know, you would never cheat on me, but that doesn't mean I can't worry, in fact, that's about all I've been doing since you left. Maybe, when you write me back I will stop worrying so much.  
  
If you are having trouble thinking about what your going to say in the letter, than maybe you can explain why a letter came back to the Dojo telling me to address all my letters to Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome. What's that about Ranma? They already recognize your overall overabundance in skill and promote you. I know our parents will definitely want to know about that.  
  
Oh, I almost forgot. Guess who dropped in while you were gone. Ishii! He got across on a freighter. Turns out that Phil had some news, and he recommended that Ishii come and tell us it face-to-face. If you're wondering what that news was, I'll tell you. But I'm not going to go into any specifics, as Ishii told me that it might get you into trouble. Okay, I'll give you the news in code, and I'm sure that even you can translate it. Here goes: Your wife's twin is in war country. He is alive and the U.S. know.  
  
I can tell you that Akari cried her eyes out when Ishii told her. I'm so happy for her; I just hope that they can get him out of there.  
  
I don't want to go into anymore detail as I think that I am beginning to babble, for I am quite happy about it myself. I don't want you to worry about it either Ranma, Phil said that he would not stop until he got all the information he needed.  
  
I'd better go now, I'm not sure I can keep writing this, as I think I might begin to cry. I hope you know just how much I love you, but if you happened to forget I'll tell you again.  
  
I love you, Your loving wife.  
  
Ranma noticed that the last few lines were a little shaky, as if the person writing was unable to control their hand. He would have had to been blind to not see the tear stains on the paper, which made Ranma's eyes sting.  
  
"Alright Akane, like you said, no matter what I do you'll be waiting for me. I'm going to hold you to that, as I'm not too sure I'm going to be the same person after this war."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Ranma stuffed the letter into the envelope and got to his feet. He walked to the door and opened it, walking down the hall wear the officer of the guardhouse was sitting behind a desk reading the Japanese Playboy.  
  
"If it's alright with you, I think I'll be on my way now," Ranma said his voice clear and stern.  
  
Somewhat startled, the guard quickly dropped his magazine and rose to his feet, affecting a very sharp salute.  
  
"Have a good day," Ranma said, smiling at the officer and exiting the building.  
  
===============  
  
Akane smiled slightly when the mailman walked down the front walk into the Saotome Dojo. She ran out the front door and met him halfway.  
  
"Good morning Mrs. Saotome," the mailman said, extending his hand, which held a stack of envelopes.  
  
"Good morning," Akane said back and took the offered envelopes. She smiled at the postman as he turned and walked back out.  
  
Turning around, Akane walked back into the house and shut the door behind her, quickly looking through the mail. She moved into the kitchen, where Akari and Kimura were having a cup of tea. She smiled to them and continued looking through the mail.  
  
"Who would have thought a Dojo could have so much mail?" Akari said. She was smiling at Kimura when she said it but when she turned back to Akane her smile dropped.  
  
Akane had dropped the mail, except for one letter, and it looked like she was trembling and was about to cry.  
  
"What's wrong Akane," Akari asked, getting up and walking over to her. Kimura followed behind her.  
  
"T-the letter, it's from Ranma," Akane said in a soft voice as she showed the envelope to them.  
  
Kimura looked closely at the envelope.  
  
"Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome Infantry? What the heck is that about?" Kimura asked as he read the sender name.  
  
"Who cares about that," Akari said, pushing the letter back into Akane's hands. "Open it up!"  
  
Akane smiled at Akari and looked down at the envelope. She lightly tore it open and extracted the letter inside.  
  
The three of them began to read.  
  
Dear Tomboy, (uh, scratch that) Dear my beloved wife, (yeah that's better)  
  
As I am writing this letter to you I am sitting inside the officer's barracks. My room is about the size of out room, which is nice, and my platoon is just across the field so I can get over there without worrying about getting lost. We landed in China about a week ago, and I'm still getting adjusted. There are almost 3,000 soldiers here, and were all crammed into the base.  
  
Ugh, I just finished eating my supper in the mess hall and I can certainly say that I am dearly missing your cooking, and Akari's.  
  
If Ishii is over there, I feel a little better, but I've got some words of warning for you Akane. Do not let Ishii involve you or Akari in any way if he is planning something (which I'm almost certainly sure he is). I don't want to have to worrying about you guys while I'm over here. I hope you guys haven't already promised your help, because I know first hand just how stubborn the both of you are.  
  
This next part is for Akari.  
  
Hey babe, I want you to know that I've got an idea about Ryoga. So if Phil's plan doesn't work, than I'll get him out of there. Even if it means getting in trouble with the government, you can bet that I'll spring him the first opportunity I get. So please don't go crying anymore, your face is just too pretty for that.  
  
Alright Akane, back to you. I want you to know just how much your letter helped me. When I first got here I was absolutely depressed, almost to the point where I could have performed the perfected Shi Shi Hokodan. But your letter arrived just in time, and now I feel like a new person, full of energy. Don't take that the wrong way though; I'm not even going to glance at any women I see. Besides, if the temptation gets to bad, I've got a cool glass of water by my side.  
  
I'm really worried though Akane. I've been having thoughts about what might happen if I go into Russia. A couple of the other officers were saying that if America does decide to help Russia (which I'm sure they will) they will send in a Special Forces team first. I just can't help thinking that I might end up fighting Phil out there, and I couldn't handle that. He's one of my best friends, and I don't want to end up having to fight him and maybe even kill him.  
  
I can't get those thoughts out of my head, and I suppose I'm just going to have to deal with them before I do anything else.  
  
I'm just about out of steam here, so I'm going to wrap up this letter. It occurs to me that I have yet to tell you just how much I love you so I will take the opportunity.  
  
I love you Akane, you have given me everything that I have ever wanted in my life. A loving wife, someone to care about, Kagome. You are what makes me who I am, nothing else.  
  
Oh yeah, if your wondering about the Second Lieutenant thing, than just glance at the photo I included, it should help clear things up.  
  
Your loving husband, Ranma  
  
Akane looked at the envelope in her hand and pulled a photograph from inside. The photo was of Ranma, standing before a building with a large smile plastered on his face. He was wearing the uniform of a Second Lieutenant of the Japanese Army.  
  
"Oh my god," Akari exclaimed silently as she looked at the photo. "He looks so handsome."  
  
Akane rubbed the back of her hand against her face to wipe the tears that had collected on her cheeks. She laughed when she looked at the photograph.  
  
"Looks like what I wrote to him was right," she said. Looking at his face made her feel warm inside. She tried to stop it but she began to cry.  
  
"Akane?" Akari asked worriedly.  
  
"It's okay," Akane said, trying hard to smile. "Just seeing him all decked out in that uniform makes me realize that he's really going to be fighting."  
  
Kimura placed a comforting hand on Akane's shoulder.  
  
"If there was ever a word that could describe what Ranma is, it would be a warrior," Kimura said softly. "Ranma has been in more fights than most people have had days. And if half the things that have been said about him are true, that he has never been beaten, and he has never given up when he thinks the battle could be won. Ranma is not the sort of man that would die in a war; he would be the kind of man that would thrive on it."  
  
Akane smiled at Kimura and threw her arms around him.  
  
"Thank you, Isamu," Akane said quietly.  
  
"You're welcome Akane."  
  
===============  
  
Russian President, Vladimir Andropov, had a decision to make.  
  
He had just received the very uncomfortable news that the no satellite photos had revealed the location of the Japanese soldiers that had crossed into China. This news was unsettling because he would now have to make the decision if he would either alert the country to the threat facing them from the southeast, with the belief that China and Japan were indeed within weeks of invading Siberia, or if he would hold off on his announcement with the belief that the two countries had yet to fully organize and were not prepared to mount an invasion.  
  
Both decisions were less than appealing. Mass hysteria or lying to your country was not decisions that any sane man would want to make.  
  
His press officer had been little help. The man had merely reiterated what the President had been mulling over for the past two days. This had earned him a verbal reprimand.  
  
President Andropov leaned back into his chair and sighed. Democracy was not proving to be a very good way of running the country yet. The mafia were running their little games in the city and the Russian people were starving.  
  
But communism had proven to be a very ineffective way of running a country. Brutally suppressing your own people, and turning your back to the rest of the world was not the ideal way for a country to act. Eventually the people would fight back, and the world would lose their patience.  
  
The President looked at the document sitting on his desk and sighed. It neatly detailed the areas that the Russian and American satellites had photographed, and told him that they had discovered absolutely nothing.  
  
Today was not a good day.  
  
But perhaps the Chinese and Japanese had realized what faced them when they invaded and gotten cold feet. The President shook his head. Absurd, the leaders of those countries had absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. Both countries are on the brink of economic ruin, and all they have right now is whatever they can get from other countries.  
  
"The Russian people need to be told," the President said aloud. If we are going to have any hope of repelling the threat to Siberia, then the Russian people will need to have the hatred they felt before for their enemies. We have done it before, and we will do it again.  
  
Feeling elated, Vladimir Andropov, the Russian President, reached across his desk and hit the button on his phone that punched him through to his secretary outside.  
  
"Bring my press secretary back in here, I need to think up a speech to deliver later this evening," he said in a soft but commanding tone.  
  
"Right away sir," the voice of his secretary rang out.  
  
Well, the President thought, maybe the situation is not as hopeless as I thought it was. We can keep those bastards out of our land, and this millennium will bring a new glory to the Russian people.  
  
===============  
  
"The problem is simple, we have simply allowed ourselves to move to spread ourselves to thin," the Secretary of the Army stated as he addressed the President and several other high ranking politicians.  
  
"So what you are saying is that we cannot get involved in a war between China, Japan, and Russia, if we want to keep our troops in Afghanistan?" the President asked.  
  
"Yes sir," SECARMY said.  
  
"So what you're also saying is that, I will not be able to keep my promise to President Andropov. That if indeed Japan and China invade, we will be unable to come to their aide."  
  
"Yes sir," SECARMY repeated.  
  
"So I'm supposed to tell President Andropov the next time that he calls me asking for American assistance, that were sorry, but you caught us in the middle of a war, if you'd like to wait a month, than I'm sure we can help you rebuild Moscow."  
  
An uncomfortable silence befell the room and the secretary of the army flushed with embarrassment.  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. President, but I can only give you the facts as I see them," he said quickly. "All of our Navy and Air Force forces are deployed in the Middle East, except for a few Navy battle cruisers and Air Force Squadrons that are deployed in the Pacific, just in the south of Mexico. We could divert the rest of our forces here to move towards an Asian war, but that would leave the United States defenseless against any kind of attack that terrorists or maybe other countries may be forming."  
  
The President seemed to consider what he said for a moment before sighing.  
  
"You are right of course general, I'm sorry I made such a snappy comment, I've had some trouble sleeping these past few days," the President said as he rubbed at his eyes, hoping to remove the intense headache that was pounding in his sinuses.  
  
"It is quite alright Mr. President," SECARMY said.  
  
"Alright, how about we knock off for the night," the President said and rose from his seat around the table. He got reaffirming nods from the men gathered around the table and smiled to each man as they exited the room.  
  
"Just a moment general!" President Winnfield called as the general was about to step through the door.  
  
"Is there a problem sir," SECARMY asked the President somewhat uneasily, but he obliged the President and sat down again at the table.  
  
The President took a seat directly across from him and passed the general a cup of coffee.  
  
"Tell me general, is it true that we have absolutely no resources to divert to Russia?" the President asked in a deadpan voice.  
  
The SECARMY cleared his throat and took a sip of coffee.  
  
"Well sir, it's not too say that we don't have any sources that we may be able to divert, it's just that we don't have anything that could make a significant impact in the war."  
  
"Well I just want it to look like were trying to help Russia and not like were sitting back so we can send the winners a gift basket."  
  
The general looked a little uncomfortable.  
  
"Well sir, the truth is I did send a message down to the Special Warfare School, so that they could mount some A teams to perhaps move into Siberia," the general said.  
  
"You did this without my approval?" President Winnfield asked, though not unkindly.  
  
"No sir," SECARMY shook his head. "You may remember that about a month ago you gave me the order to find out what resources we had that could be immediately diverted to Asia, just in case their happened to be a war. I took this as a request to prepare some resources just in case so I sent a letter down to the commander of the Special Warfare School, and asked him to mobilize as many resources as he could."  
  
The President looked at the general for a moment.  
  
"Are they prepared yet to go into Russia?"  
  
"Not quite sir," SECARMY admitted. "You see, we caught them in the middle of their training season and because of that they have to retrain their soldiers in the type of warfare that their bound to do when they reach Russia."  
  
"Do the troops know what's going on?"  
  
"I would have to say no Mr. President, the commander that I instructed has yet to tell anyone about what's happening, and I suppose the other troops just believe it's a new training technique that their new commander has come up with."  
  
"Good," the President said. "I want it to stay that way for as long as possible, I don't want anyone that I have not personally approved of to hear about this. Though I doubt that it's going to be a secret for very long."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
The President reached into a briefcase and handed a piece of paper over to the general.  
  
"It seems that the Japanese have already been sending troops into China. It's been almost three weeks and we have yet to discover where they went after landing on the coast."  
  
The general did not reply as he scanned the page.  
  
"Does this mean that we have no idea where almost five thousand soldiers have gone? Isn't it a little hard to hide that many troops?"  
  
"It would appear that the Chinese moved them to a very remote location, or that is at least our reasoning. We have our satellites probing all of China round the clock, but we haven't found anything yet. It's my hope that were able to find them before they end up across the Russian border without any idea where they are on our or the Russian's part."  
  
SECARMY did not reply.  
  
"Get those soldiers ready general," the President said, rising to his feet. "I want them in Siberia before the Chinese and Japanese."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Oh, only three reviews, I'm hurt. I guess you guys didn't like the last chapter.  
  
I have sort of happy-sad news this week. I was finally able to talk to my husband (it took almost this long for him to finally get a satellite phone from the army). While this is great news for me, he had less than great news to say himself. It seems that all the soldiers based where he is are not very happy with the large protests that are being staged throughout the world. My husband referred to it as being like the Vietnam War. Granted he was just born around the beginning of that war, but all soldiers have a good idea what things were like in that time.  
  
I just want to put it into words exactly what he said:  
  
It would appear that since everybody has been able to forget about the images of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon being attacked, they feel that it is alright to preach what they think is the right thing to do. War protestors are becoming daring, and I have received the unfortunate news from a friend of mine in London that said he was spit on as he walked down the street in his uniform. Curses like, 'babykiller', are once again being used in a way that makes me think of the Vietnam War. This is not an acceptable way of doing things. Anti-Americanism seems to be a world sport nowadays, what with the burning of President Bush dolls, and the hatred that is directed to all of those that have any plan on supporting the war on Iraq.  
  
We were given a rude awakening on September 11, 2001, and the world has been quick to forget that. Only nations that have the strongest ties with the United States have been giving their approval of a war with Iraq. Nations like France, and Germany have been vehemently denying that they can see any good in an Iraqi war. Those words are coming from nations who, if not for the United States intervention, would be under the rule of a tyrannical war monger. Peace is a hard thing to come by, and most of the time, to reach a peaceful state, war is necessary. The United States has helped so many, and asked for so little in return. We have granted so many nations the help that they desired, and now, when we have finally asked for something in return, they have turned their backs to us.  
  
The United States has contributed more than every nation combined in the UN to their goal, and we have given more soldiers and money than it is pleasant to think. President Bush has yet to declare war on Iraq. He is waiting because he wants the support of his allies. The United States does not need the support of their allies, yet President Bush is waiting, hoping to get UN approval. But he won't wait forever. The weapons inspectors have asked for more time but I can't see that happening.  
  
To all the protestors and people that have hatred towards this war remember: When you do not lift a hand to stop evil, you become a part of it. (End Speech)  
  
There, that's the end of his little speech. I'm no politician, or soldier, but I think my husband is right. But I'm not going to go in depth with anybody about it. 


	12. Until the End Chapter 11

Until the End Chapter 11 The Front Line  
  
The first Japanese soldier crossed into Russia at 0324 hours. They passed the first seventeen miles without meeting any enemy forces. But as they began to enter the eighteenth mile, they were introduced to what fighting in Russia was like. With a second to spare, the Japanese infantry unit on the front line barely escaped being killed when a mortar round impacted three meters from their position. Shrapnel and the initial explosion killed seven soldiers, and sending the remaining men up in the scouts position running into the trees. This proved to be an unwise plan, as a Russian T-90 tank was waiting in the trees.  
  
With it being only one week since the announcement by the Russian President Vladimir Andropov, most of the Russian soldiers were being faced with the unlikely possibility that they were going to be invaded.  
  
Lieutenant Gregory Gogol had been one of the many soldiers ripped from the easy going life of a soldier in a peacetime army, and thrust into the barren weather of Siberia. He was in charge of the 107th infantry division, and at the moment he was terrified.  
  
Being his first actual day in combat, he was experiencing the cold brutal facts of warfare. His division had been lucky enough to be able to observe the Chinese and Japanese troops cross into Russia, and had been fortunate enough to observe them all the way in until the waypoint, where they were instructed to mount their offence against the invading forces. The Russian 73rd Tank Battalion was stationed in the trees opposite of their position, where it had been predicted that the Asian soldiers would try to reach if they encountered any interference.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol had yet to actually fire his weapon yet, as he had been instructing his men on where to shoot when the actual combat had started. He had forgotten that he was supposed to shoot when he saw the enemy and had nearly lost his lunch when some of the Chinese-Japanese troops opened fire on their positions. One of the soldiers next to him, a Private from Moscow, took a round in the chest and was thrown back. He started to vomit blood before Lieutenant Gogol had even called for a medic.  
  
The medic rushed forward, and was just in time to get struck in the head by a bullet. His helmet saved his life, but not before he nearly wet his pants with fright. He managed to pull the private away from the front line and get him to a safe distance where he could administer some help.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol had witnessed his medic get hit in the head, and realized that they were going to be cut down if they stayed in the area. Gathering his courage, he turned to the Sergeant next to him, who was firing down at the Chinese-Japanese soldiers that were running for the tree line.  
  
"We've got to move out of here, were getting cut down!" Lieutenant Gogol shouted so he could be heard amidst the firing of the guns.  
  
The sergeant looked up and regarded his lieutenant oddly for a moment before nodding. Quickly getting to his feet, the sergeant called for his men to mount up and prepare to move further down where they could get a better shot at the enemy.  
  
Believing that the sergeant had heard him wrong, Lieutenant Gogol repeated what he had said, but the sergeant didn't hear him and was already heading down the steep hill that they had been positioned on.  
  
The distant rumble as the T-90 tank discharged a HEAT round at the Chinese-Japanese soldiers shook Lieutenant Gogol from his stupor, and he raced down the hill after his men.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Ranma Saotome had, in fact, been the first Japanese soldier to cross the Chinese-Russian border. He had also been in charge of the scouting platoon, who happened to be his own, and he had been in the middle of the line of soldiers when an enemy mortar impacted the ground a few meters from his position.  
  
He had escaped unscathed, but a few of his soldiers weren't so lucky. He did not need to look back as he could easily see the shrapnel rip through the soldier's bodies. Thinking quickly, Ranma directed his men to run in the direction of the tree line which was only fifty yards to their right.  
  
The Japanese 101st Infantry Platoon made it to the trees without any other casualties, but they would not be so lucky when they realized that they were not alone.  
  
Ranma heard it first. The noise as a turret was rotated around and some broken cries of surprise in Russian. Ranma looked over his shoulder as a Russian T-90 tank loomed threateningly in the clearing they had just entered. He had a moment to contemplate what he should do when the gunner on top of the tank opened fire.  
  
Ranma leapt behind a tree as the bullets impacted the trees and soldiers. Luckily for the 101st a Chinese platoon had been moving into the area just as the gunner opened fire, which garnered the Russian soldier's attention. Ranma used this chance to move his men clear of the area. Thinking quickly, Ranma used the radio he had been given which was on the back of one of his men and radioed back to the main force approaching the area about three miles back from the scouts.  
  
"Attention, this is Lieutenant Saotome, we have encountered the enemy and they are wiping us out. Request assistance immediately, be advised the enemy has tanks and mortars."  
  
*Affirmative Lieutenant, move away from the field as quick as possible, we have reinforcements moving up as we speak.*  
  
Ranma replaced the radio and turned his attention to his men. They stood pensively, awaiting the words of their lieutenant.  
  
"We've got to move out of the area, apparently they're sending reinforcements."  
  
The nearby rattle of the gunner in the tank made up their mind's for them. They very quickly moved off into the woods and waited for any sign of the reinforcements.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Gogol was down on the ground when he heard the distant rumble of a jet. Jets, Gogol corrected himself which made him shiver. All fighting seemed to stop as the sound of the jets moved closer and closer, until Gogol was able to pick them out of the sky way off in the distance. Before he could shout a warning to his men, the jets were over them, and sound of falling objects was heard. The explosions hit all around the Russian positions and some of the Asian positions as well. The screams of the dying were cut off as the fighting once again resumed.  
  
Gogol ducked behind some shrubbery when a Japanese soldier noticed him and decided to throw a grenade in his direction.  
  
Knowing that the grenade was supposed to make him show himself, Lieutenant Gogol slipped behind a tree and opened fire on the Japanese soldier, hitting him twice in the chest.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol cast his eyes further down the path and saw that his platoon was engaged in a firefight with some Chinese soldiers. Deciding that he would not make any significant difference in the fight, Lieutenant Gogol dashed further down the trail to look for more soldiers and perhaps discover the real invading force.  
  
Those jets hurt us bad, Gogol thought as he moved down the path, tripping occasionally and having snow covered branches smack him in the face. It was dark and visibility was down to about whatever the moon could provide. The burning fires from the cluster bombs the Chinese jets had dropped were still burning, but the fires were now a distant glow.  
  
Hearing a loud noise, Lieutenant Gogol dove into the shrubbery once again and lightly lifted his head to make out whatever made the noise.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma knew that he hadn't gotten his team far enough away when the scream of the jet engines came from the horizon. Pumping his legs, Ranma had gotten maybe fifty yards away from the main battle when the first bomb was dropped. The T-90 Russian tank was hit directly on the top hatch, sending fire and twisted metal streaming through the tank, ripping the Russian soldiers inside apart.  
  
Lieutenant Saotome stopped his run and looked back, slightly out of breath. He had moved much faster than his other soldiers, and he was not able to tell if any of his men had gotten caught up in the blast that killed the Russian tank.  
  
Jogging back, Ranma saw that his NCO was in the lead, and shouting encouragement to the men behind him, despite how tired he was from running the great distance in less than a minute. When the NCO noticed Ranma, he attempted to snap a quick salute but was unable to straighten up without gasping for air.  
  
"That's alright sergeant," Ranma said, his voice unaffected by the distance he had sprinted, "You don't need to salute every time we meet up."  
  
The sergeant nodded, and tried to say something but it came out as a wheeze.  
  
Ranma let his sergeant catch his breath and took the time to scan the area. He could hear the faint sounds of gunfire coming from the wooded area, and Ranma concluded that the Chinese bombers had not eliminated all of the Russian soldiers.  
  
Wishful thinking I guess, Ranma thought to himself.  
  
Seeing that some of the men had caught up, Ranma found the private with the radio and decided to contact the invading force.  
  
"This is Lieutenant Saotome, requesting orders," Ranma said into the small radio mouthpiece.  
  
The reply was instantaneous.  
  
*This is command leader, we need all platoons to pull back and link up with the main force, I repeat, we need all platoons to pull back and link up with the main force.*  
  
"Well I guess we have our orders," Ranma said as he replaced the radio.  
  
Looking at the men gathered around, who most were trying to catch their breaths, Ranma decided to relay the news.  
  
"We've got to head back to the main force, it looks like things aren't going to way they were planned and were going to rethink our strategy a little," Ranma said in a clear voice.  
  
"You mean we have to go back now?" one of the privates asked. He was one of the older men, and it looked like he was having a hard time catching his breath.  
  
Ranma thought that over a bit. "Okay, all the men that are able to come back to the main force will go with me, and everyone that still needs time to catch their breaths will wait with the sergeant and leave in seven minutes."  
  
Ranma looked around and judged the expressions on each man's face to see if they agreed. Ranma could tell that the sergeant didn't like the idea of staying behind while his lieutenant went off on his own.  
  
"Any man able to I want to follow me, were heading back to the fire- support teams and were going to have to move fast," Ranma said aloud. He turned to his sergeant. "I don't like this idea any more than you sergeant, but we'll have to work with it, so I want you to be back there with us in no more than seven minutes."  
  
"Right sir," the sergeant said and smiled.  
  
Ranma nodded and started off, the sound of some of the men griping and a few muted gunshots were all that echoed in the night.  
  
===============  
  
The decision to have a small amount of infantry soldiers to lead at least four or five miles ahead of the main invading force was made by the Japanese and Chinese military Chief of Staffs. This idea was not something that they had brilliantly thought up for the invasion of Siberia, it had in fact already been used in almost all military situations in the past fifty years.  
  
Scouts were sent ahead to 'test' the enemy strength, and to see just how much force would be needed to knock down the defensive side, without having to endanger too many of their resources. Invading armies were always at the disadvantage when it comes to warfare. They are on foreign soil, and their enemies are at home. An invading force must establish waypoints at regular intervals, especially as they progress through the enemy territory, because if they did not, they left themselves open for an attack from behind, which would prove fatal to most armies.  
  
Another factor working against an invading army, and just about the most important one, is the need for fuel and supplies. Invading armies need to move fast and hit hard, if they can't do this, than their enemy will be able to counter-attack and wipe them out. Disrupting an enemies supply lines is one of the most effective way of making sure the enemy you're facing will be weakened and easily crushed. These ideas have been in place for nearly a century.  
  
These factors were very important to the Japanese and Chinese, because if they failed to cover even one of those factors, it would mean their defeat, and cause world humiliation. Neither country could afford to have such a thing happen, so it took some very careful planning to make sure their invasion force would not be able to be stopped.  
  
All of these thoughts were running through the mind of Brigadier General She Feng. General Feng had been given control of the Chinese invading force, an amazing job to be given to a 45 year old. He had been in on the planning stages of the invasion, and he was proud to think that some of the better ideas had been proposed by him.  
  
As the fighting ahead was continuing, General Feng was riding along with the invading force in a jeep, hanging just far enough back to avoid any Russian snipers that may be up ahead.  
  
General Feng had not expected the Russians to put up such a fight in the initial battle, but if the reports he was receiving from the platoon leaders ahead were true, than most of the Russian defenders were killed when the Chinese jets dropped their load onto the scene. This was a very satisfying thing for the general to hear, as it meant that he would not have a high body count on the first battle.  
  
Feeling slightly elated for the first time since the arduous trek into Russia began; General Feng decided to move up to the front line of the force, to show that he was being a true leader.  
  
After checking with the tanks and halftracks in the front of the invasion force, the jeep carrying the commander of the Chinese-Japanese forces in Siberia moved out into plain view, much to the worry of his driver, and to the immediate elation of the troops.  
  
Shouting out a few words of encouragement, General Feng ordered his driver to move up, and to lead the force into the wooded area that he had just previously felt to be a deathtrap.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Gogol was knee deep in snow on a ditch beside the main trail when he heard movement up ahead. He moved his night vision goggles to his eyes and nearly dropped them again when he saw what was approaching. Moving quickly, he reached for his radio and called back to his platoon.  
  
"This is Lieutenant Gogol; bring the rest of the men and whatever soldiers that are still alive to the following points." Gogol told the radioman his position. "It looks like the main force is moving up now, so hurry it up or were going to be wiped out."  
  
Hearing an affirmative response on the other end, Gogol replaced his radio and picked up his rifle, which still contained his original magazine and waited as the main force of the Chinese-Japanese invasion headed down the large path.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Saotome and his platoon were making their way through the thick dense trees when they were discovered by a Russian patrol force.  
  
As both sides began to trade fire, Lieutenant Saotome quickly realized that the Russian soldiers were not pressing forward, which they should have been doing, given the fact that they outnumbered Ranma and his troops by almost three to one. Ranma checked his six and twelve one last time, before sprinting forward, towards the Russians.  
  
As Ranma had expected, the Russians were still ducking behind fallen and standing trees firing just often enough to not allow anyone to move up. Concentrating on each muzzle flash, Ranma moved towards the soldiers at an alarming speed. His troops behind him stopped firing and watched in awe as their leader leapt high enough to reach the tops of the trees and to land behind a large fallen tree and toss two grenades at the Russians that were still firing at them.  
  
Ranma's feet touched the ground just when the tremendous roar of a tank round being fired off sounded. Spinning on his feet Ranma fell backwards, just as a HEAT (high-explosive, anti-tank) round passed through the space that his head had been in just a second before.  
  
Hitting the ground, Ranma rolled, just as the gunner on top of the tank began firing at Ranma. The rounds hit the ground beneath him and Ranma sprang to his feet, moving in a wide arch that made the gunner move far too fast than he was able to which resulted in the Russian gunner losing his balance and falling from the top of the tank. As he was falling, Ranma fired a three-round burst which hit the Russian soldier in the stomach and chest.  
  
Before the Russian soldier had even hit the ground, Ranma was charging at the tank and readying his last grenade. The huge tube of the Russian tank swung around to face him as he sped towards it. Just as the loader inside the tank got the round loaded, Ranma tossed his grenade down the open hatch that the Russian gunner had previously been occupied. A few loud Russian curses sounded in the tank before the grenade went off. The grenade ignited the unfired tank rounds and it sent flaming shrapnel and burning wreckage flying over the area. The remaining Russian patrol was killed when the shower of fire and shrapnel hit the troops and killed them.  
  
Ranma, breathing deeply, quickly ran to where the Russian soldiers were and checked each man to see if they were dead. He needed only to look at each man to tell if they were dead. Twisted bits of metal and earth spotted each soldier's uniform, allowing all to see that the men had died very quick deaths.  
  
Lieutenant Saotome did a quick survey of the area before turning to his troops, who were still back in their original position, watching their leader with wide, frightened eyes. He motioned for them to move up, and each man hesitated just a moment before complying with the unspoken order.  
  
Ranma approached his NCO first, and asked him to take a couple men and see if they could recover anything of use from the dead Russian soldiers, such as documents or radio equipment that may not have been destroyed in the explosion. Next he went to his radioman and radioed the main force. The reply did not come, but he was alerted to the fact that the sound of multiple heavy tank rounds ripped through the area.  
  
"What the hell?" Lieutenant Saotome said softly.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Gogol had removed his night vision goggles and had his rifle pressed up against his shoulder with his head leveled with the sights. The roar of tank engines and jeeps was coming just around the bend in the trail, and the enemy forces had to have been at least half a kilometer away, which left him little to no time to think through what he was about to do.  
  
As the sound of the engines grew closer and louder, Lieutenant Gogol heard someone call out for him and he turned and saw his sergeant standing just above the small rise that came just before the bend in the trail.  
  
"Get over here now!" the sergeant screamed as loud as he dared to Lieutenant Gogol.  
  
Gogol realized that he really had no reason to stay where he was, unless he wanted to end up as cannon fodder. Gathering his courage, Lieutenant Gogol grabbed a hold of his rifle and started to sprint across the clearing towards the small rise that the sergeant was on. Just as he reached the halfway point of the trail, a jeep burst around the corner going at least seventy kilometers an hour.  
  
Reacting on pure instinct, Lieutenant Gogol brought his rifle up and to his face and fired four short bursts into the jeep. The jeep kept heading straight for a moment, so Lieutenant Gogol fired once again, and the jeep suddenly veered off course and smashed into a tree.  
  
With no time to spare, Lieutenant Gogol sprinted the rest of the distance to the short rise and joined his sergeant.  
  
"That was a good shot sir," the sergeant commended as he handed Lieutenant Gogol a canteen of purified water.  
  
Gogol was about to reply when the two Chinese Type 90 light tanks came plowing down the trail from around the bend. The two tanks were firing at anything that moved, as they had obviously heard the gunshots that were fired by Lieutenant Gogol.  
  
A Russian T-90 Heavy tank fired a canister round at the two tanks, and managed to send one of the Type 90's flipping end over end before finally landing on its hatch, trapping the soldiers inside. Reacting quickly, the remaining Type 90 spun it's turret around and shot a quick HEAT round at the short rise that the Russian T-90 had been positioned on. The shot went wide, and the Russian tank returned fire quickly, destroying the tank.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol's radio began spouting out quick unintelligible orders.  
  
*Withdraw; we need not do any more. Withdraw, all units withdraw.*  
  
Lieutenant Gogol turned to his sergeant and nodded. They quickly got to their feet and climbed onto the Russian T-90 tank as it began to head back down the trail. As soon as they were off of the rocky and unthreaded paths, the tank sped up to join with the rest of the defensive forces.  
  
As the T-90 slowed down to a slower speed, Lieutenant Gogol jumped off of the tank and went in search of the commanding officer.  
  
The Russian Colonel that had been in charge of the initial defense of the first Russian defensives was standing by a jeep talking rapidly into a radio on his dashboard.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol approached, and received a nod of acknowledgment from the colonel.  
  
"We were able to hold off their attack for almost four hours general, I do not see why we would not be able to keep them at bay for awhile longer."  
  
A reply came in from the radio and Lieutenant Gogol was close enough to pick it up.  
  
*That is not the case Gregory, we do not want to have all of you killed. We want them to believe that they have won a decisive victory, when all they have done is kill some infantry. We hit them hard today, but we will do nothing else, now pull back to relay point number four and wait for orders. Leave a scout team behind that will be able to observe the enemy and report back when they move again. Do you understand your orders?*  
  
"Yes sir," the colonel said and replaced the radio. He turned to Gogol and smiled. "I hope you don't mind sticking behind with your team lieutenant," the colonel said. "I want you and your platoon to stay behind and move back down and observe the enemy and return only when they begin to move again."  
  
Lieutenant Gogol was conflicted at the moment. A part of him wanted to prove himself to the colonel and to jump at the opportunity and once again prove himself in combat, but another part of him was saying that he had already proven himself and he should take the opportunity to get some rest.  
  
His pride won over his common sense.  
  
"Yes sir, I'll gather my team and move back down the trail to observe the enemy."  
  
"That's a good man," the colonel said and patted Gogol's arm.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter took so long to come out. I realize there was a very quick transition from jut talking about it to the actual combat, but I hope everyone liked it. Next chapter there will be more of an explanation on what exactly happened before this, and what the situation of Phil's Green Beret's are. So I hope everyone will be able to stick around until then.  
  
I want to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter, and for those that offered their political opinion, I would also like to thank, even if you did not agree with my husband. 


	13. Until the End Chapter 12

Until the End Chapter 12 Home Again  
  
"Mr. President?" one of Russian President Vladimir Andropov's aides asked calmly as the Russian President walked into his office, to find that it was filled with most of the political leaders of the rest of his country.  
  
"Yes Andrey?" President Andropov asked the aide that addressed him.  
  
"They're fifty miles into Siberia now," the aide informed the President softly.  
  
"I see," President Andropov said quietly. "We weren't able to stop them after all."  
  
"Sir," the general of the Russian military protested. "The Chinese and Japanese combined had nearly twenty times the amount of soldiers we had committed to the initial defense of the border. On the last count, we lost only three hundred and seventy five men, while the Asians lost six hundred."  
  
"A small matter when you consider the fact that there's almost a billion more where that came from," the President muttered.  
  
The general kept his temper in check and sat in a chair beside the President's desk. He cleared his throat.  
  
"We did receive some great news from one of the commanders in the field," the general said.  
  
"What?" the Russian President asked. He had been awake for nearly thirty-six hours and he was running low on manners.  
  
"It seems that the commander that the Chinese gave the invasion command to was shot and killed in the battle."  
  
The President's interest was peeked. "Really? How?"  
  
It seems that the general believed that our forces were not as strong and they were and decided to lead his force after reports that our defenders were destroyed. What they did not know was that we had pulled back to reorganize, and when the invading force moved up the commanding general's jeep was shot at and destroyed by a Russian soldier that happened to be crossing the trail at the exact time when the jeep came down the road."  
  
"Hmm, well maybe this will give the bastards something to think about," the President mused as he considered the implementations of the news he just received.  
  
"Mr. President?" the President's media advisor spoke for the first time.  
  
"Yes?" the President responded, still thinking about what the general told him.  
  
"We have to consider the implementations that this news has, and in what way we should distribute it amongst out country."  
  
"I think that we should keep this information close for now," the Russian general spoke up. "If we leak it now we may just make the Asians believe that we are not taking them seriously, and they may decide to move their entire force up for the next battle, and if my recent status reports are to be believed, we have used up a great amount of our resources from the original fight. We committed our most advanced tank battalion to that fight, and only one regiment escaped with all of its tanks still in working condition. We cannot allow ourselves to become overconfident; I have no reason to believe that our army will actually be able to stop these invaders before they reach Siberia."  
  
"What!?" the President's media advisor shouted angrily. "How dare you speak in such a manner?"  
  
The Russian general turned his head and leveled a glare at the press advisor. "Would you rather I speak as an optimist. We have gone almost ten years without any serious military ventures. We have not been able to pay our soldiers for the past few years, and because of this they are nowhere near in the right mind-set to defend this country. If you wish I will give you as much false information as you want, but I am not going to hold back my opinions about the true state of this country's military."  
  
"In the past three years we have retired almost one third of our navy, well, at least one third of what was actually in working order. Since the end of the Cold War we have yet to produce any new lines of submarines. We have our Kilo class submarines and a few others, and these ships are only able to be put out to see because we give the crew and it's commanders a steadily supply of vodka." The general's fist slammed into the table. "We have absolutely nothing available to stop these invaders! Our troops were able to hold them back in this first battle, but the next fight will not be on even-ground. The Chinese and Japanese will have learned from this defeat and they will put forth all of their resources to smash us to oblivion when they meet our troops again."  
  
The general got up from his seat and began pacing in the room, his earlier demeanor gone as he adopted one of anger and frustration.  
  
"Did you know that two days ago an entire military base in Siberia was abandoned by the troops serving there because they feared what might happen if they are sent into battle? Our soldiers have no will to fight, and they will flee from our enemy when the first chance arises. The Russian people have had to endure countless tragedies in their time, and they are of the mind that Siberia is an inefficient piece of land that we should be rid of, especially if it means that we will avoid a war."  
  
The general stopped pacing and looked at the press advisor, who was frozen in his seat with absolute shock. The general seemed to realize what he had just done and moved back to his seat, his face red and his breathing heavy from his outburst.  
  
President Andropov, who had sat back and watched the general's rant leaned forward and regarded the general.  
  
"Is it true what you said about that base deserting?" President Andropov asked quietly.  
  
"Yes sir," the general replied. "I was just informed on my way over to this meeting. As we speak the soldiers in question are being looked for in the surrounding villages."  
  
President Andropov leaned back in his chair and sighed.  
  
"Leave them," he said softly.  
  
"What!?" the general and the press advisor shouted at the same time.  
  
"We have no use for men that are cowards, and I do not wish to have them inside our ranks."  
  
The press advisor spluttered. "B-but we need to track them down and execute them for cowardice."  
  
The President looked at the press advisor with an odd expression on his face.  
  
"You may have forgotten that this is no longer a communist country, and I have absolutely no intention of installing fear as the means to control this country. If I do that, than the help from all of the democratic nations in this world would disappear faster than I could blink. To rule a country with fear is what our enemies our doing and I am going to do everything in my power to make sure Russia does not go back to the bad old days."  
  
The press advisor looked doubtful but the Russian general seemed to approve of what the President was saying.  
  
"Alright sir," the general said. "Consider the search for the AWOL soldiers put off for as long as our enemies are still inside our borders."  
  
"Good," President Andropov said. "Now, let's move onto other issues."  
  
===============  
  
Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome gazed ruefully at the infantry captain that was berating him and his platoon. The skinny man was going on and on about how Ranma and his platoon had let the force down, and that they were a disgrace to the service.  
  
When Ranma and his platoon had finally returned to the main base, they were greeted with the news that their commanding general had been shot repeatedly and killed when the invasion force had moved up to try and finish off the Russian defenders. It was a sharp blow to the men, and it was even worse now that it had been decided to pass the blame onto the scouts that had been fighting the Russians.  
  
It was absolutely ridiculous in retrospect, but it seemed that because Ranma and the other soldiers had been unable to finish off the Russians and had therefore allowed for their commander to be killed by a single Russian soldier.  
  
A Japanese major approached Ranma and his platoon and he nodded absentmindedly when the troops saluted. The captain that had been berating Ranma's platoon saluted as well.  
  
"That's enough for now captain, please move onto your other duties," the major said. The captain looked like he was going to protest but a slight glare from the major made him move off.  
  
"Lieutenant Saotome," the major said. "A moment of your time please."  
  
Ranma looked at the major for a moment before turning to his troops and nodding, a silent signal for them to move off.  
  
"I'm sorry for that captain's behavior, it would seem that some of the officers are seeing fit to pass on the blame than to actually own up to their mistakes. I must tell you that you and troops did an exceptional job back there. I heard from a few of your troops about what you did. I was not obliged to believe them, but I just called back to the base in China and they informed me of your background."  
  
Ranma looked at the major impassively, trying to think of where the major was going with his praise.  
  
"I was wondering, could you just demonstrate to me what you did to incapacitate that Russian tank?" the major asked kindly, though Ranma interpreted it as an order.  
  
Ranma nodded and looked for a tank. He spotted a Chinese Type 97 light tank and took off. He moved in a wide arch that quickly came to wrap upon the tank, allowing Ranma to move right up next to it. He pretended to pull the pin on the grenade he was holding and jumped, pretending to toss it into the open hatch on the tank. When his feet touched the ground, Ranma sprinted back to the major, who was watching with an open mouth.  
  
"Is that what you wanted sir?" Ranma asked, his face not showing any signs of exertion, almost as if he had not just done the exercise.  
  
The major turned to Ranma, his face was shocked. "T-that was amazing."  
  
"Sir, may I ask if there is any significance in your asking me to demonstrate that?" Ranma asked.  
  
The major's face changed and he took a more serious demeanor. "I am quite sure you are aware of the fact that many of our soldiers and officers were killed in our initial battle with the Russians, and some of our more senior ranking men are no longer around to administer their thoughts and ideas from what we should do now. As the military dictates, the rank of commanding officer falls to the next highest ranking officer, and that title has been passed down to a Colonel Urashima, a Japanese armor officer."  
  
"I'm sure he will be able to make up some plans to move us back into the saddle sir," Ranma said, not allowing any emotion to show on his face.  
  
"Yes," the major answered solemnly. "The only problem is that this Colonel Urashima has absolutely no battle experience, and was brought along on this front as an observer, not as a leader. It is of the general consensus among the other officers and myself that the colonel is going to need all the help we can get, as it may take a whole two weeks before another commanding officer is sent up here from either Japan or China."  
  
"I see," Ranma said, though he did not.  
  
"So far he has yet to make any concrete decisions, and we all know that the more time it takes us to gather ourselves, the more the Russians will be able to build their defense. So the other officers and I have decided that it might be best if we give the colonel a helpful push in the right direction, sort of like how a parent does with their child."  
  
"Are you suggesting that I have a conversation with the colonel sir?" Ranma asked, a feeling of uneasiness spreading throughout his stomach.  
  
The major smiled. "We don't want you so much as we want the front line soldiers to speak up. I'm thinking that if the colonel gets the idea that the regular grunts are ready and willing to get out there than he should get himself into the saddle and keep this invasion force moving."  
  
Realization dawned on Ranma and the feeling of helplessness washed over him.  
  
"I will get my men sir," Ranma said and saluted.  
  
"That's a good man," the major said and walked off.  
  
Ranma turned and began to trudge down the path towards the sleeping grounds.  
  
There goes my last chance of getting out of this war, Ranma thought. I had hoped that with the CO dead, we would pull out, for at least a little while, and maybe give me some time to think things over.  
  
Ranma found his platoon going as they were going through their supplies. The platoon's sergeant was distributing the ammo and MRE rations. He informed his sergeant of what the major had told him.  
  
"I'm glad this means were not going to be held responsible for what happened to the general," the sergeant admitted. "But how are we supposed to prove to the colonel that were ready to go back into combat. From my perspective it looks like were going to need at least a day and a half more before we should even begin to think of continuing this assault."  
  
"Yours not to reason why sergeant," Ranma said. "Yours but to listen and do what you're told by men higher on the food chain."  
  
"Right you are sir," the sergeant responded.  
  
"Before I go I need to ask you guys a favor," Ranma said to the whole platoon. "In the fight before I kind of fell in some snow and the paper and pens that I had with me got kind of ruined and I need some more. Is it possible for any of you to spare me some?"  
  
A private immediately dashed towards his pack and dug out a large stack of paper, including a package of pens. He rushed back to Ranma and offered them to him.  
  
"Here you are sir."  
  
Ranma did his best not to laugh.  
  
"Thank you private, but I won't need this much, I'm not planning on writing a novel," Ranma said. "But thank you nonetheless."  
  
===============  
  
The news of the Chinese general's death reached American ears even before it reached the Chinese Prime Minister's. The President's NSA (national security advisor) rushed into President Winnfield's office with the news.  
  
"Well," the President said after receiving the news. "Looks like the Russian were able to give them more of a fight than I thought."  
  
The National Security Advisor smiled. "Do I have permission to go on ahead and pass the news along the normal channels?"  
  
"Go right ahead," the President said.  
  
Once his advisor had left the room the President picked up his phone and dialed a number. He waited for someone on the other end to pick up.  
  
"Yes, this is President Winnfield, and I would like to speak to General Sears," the President spoke when someone on the other end picked up.  
  
A new voice came on the line.  
  
*General Sears here, how may I help you Mr. President?*  
  
"You're the head of the Special Warfare School right?" the President asked, though he knew it to be true.  
  
*Yes sir.*  
  
"Then I'm sure your aware of my directive to have all Green Beret A teams prepared to go out on a mission before the end of the month?*  
  
*Yes sir.*  
  
"I was wondering if you might be able to tell a General Parker that a new set of orders for his team will be sent out before the end of the week, one sending them overseas."  
  
*I will pass the word along sir.*  
  
"Thank you general, that will be all," the President said and hung up.  
  
The President turned his head and was slightly startled to see his chief aide, Bobby Ford, standing in the doorway of his office.  
  
"Do you need something Bob?" Winnfield asked.  
  
Ford shrugged his shoulders and walked into the Oval Office, coming to a stop in front of the President's desk.  
  
"Are you sure you should have done that George, I mean, you might have contacted a few generals over in the Pentagon before going straight to the man."  
  
It was the President's turn to shrug. "I have heard enough from those tired old men over there, I want to hear what the status of the troops is by the man that is leading them himself."  
  
Ford nodded his head. "Okay, that makes some sense." He took a seat. "But do you think we've thought this all the way through? Russia gave China and Japan something to think about in their first fight, but that fight is going to be the only Russian victory. If were so vain to believe that a bunch of A teams will be able to stop a full-scale invasion, then we're believing in a pipe dream."  
  
The President sighed. "I know Bob, but if the military leaders of this country are to be believed, then we've spread ourselves too thin. I promised President Andropov that I would assist him when the Chinese and Japanese invaded, and I don't want to have to back out of that promise."  
  
"I understand that George, but I'm wondering if your going to end up trading the lives of all those men just so you can keep your promise."  
  
The President threw his hands up in frustration. "Well what would you have me do Bob? Go back on my promise with Andropov and allow the Chinese and Japanese to just take over Siberia. That goes against everything that I had hoped to build upon my administration. In one year I'm going to have to be making my appeal to the world to help stop Saddam Hussein, and how am I going to convince them that I saw this as a greater threat to the American interests than when China and Japan invaded and took over Siberia."  
  
Ford shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think there is anything we can do. But let's not be so naïve that we would think that those Green Berets are going to really make a difference in this war."  
  
The President shook his head. "Of course not, the real fight is going to be with the Russians, but were going to lighten their load by just a little."  
  
Ford leaned back in his chair. "Well, let's just hope that this Parker fellow has got his men ready."  
  
===============  
  
"Akane!" Akari shouted as she walked back inside of the house. She shivered involuntarily as the blast of warm air hit her.  
  
"What is it Akari?" Akane asked as she stepped out of the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron.  
  
"Looks like it's a go for tonight," Akari said, holding up a black envelope.  
  
It had taken nearly a week to get all the details worked out, but Ishii and the others had finally gotten to the point where their small group of rebels could conduct operations against the Japanese government. Akane and Akari had been deliberately left out of the first few operations, which consisted of sabotaging two flights that held Japanese soldiers that were supposed to leave for China. When the flight crews had gotten the planes ready for takeoff, they had been unable to get the plane started, which resulted in a four or five day delay for those soldiers. Planes and military vehicles were in low supply, considering that the bulk of all those things had been moved to China, where troops and equipment needed constant shuffling around.  
  
After some rather intense conversations, Akane and Akari had finally convinced Ishii and Kimura to allow them to come along on the next operation, which was codenamed, Operation Morning Star. The operation consisted of five different sections; the first would be the infiltration of the Japanese Intelligence Agency, whose headquarters were located in downtown Tokyo. The reason for that target was because Kimura had explained that the agency had been receiving daily messages from the Prime Minister, some of which would contain information that could prove very damaging if they were ever released to the public.  
  
While their small group would do everything they could to help stop the movement of soldiers into China and then Russia, they would also be trying to run an underground information center that would allow them to routinely give the people of Tokyo and surrounding areas the truth about what was in fact going on in the war in Siberia..  
  
"Finally," Akane breathed. "I wasn't sure that we would actually be doing this."  
  
"Well let's just hope that our role in this will not be some lame little assignment like being lookouts," Akari said.  
  
"Don't worry," Akane said with a smile. "I made Kimura promise that we would be an integral part of this operation, whether Ishii liked it or not."  
  
Akari smiled. "I guess we just have to wait until tonight then."  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Gogol cursed silently under his breath when he heard the sound of someone crashing through the brush in front of him. Thinking quickly, he dove behind a tree, just as the person emerged. Peeking around the tree, Gogol saw that it was a Japanese soldier, a lieutenant like him. The soldier was handsome, and he had a long pigtail, which Gogol found very odd.  
  
The soldier continued on his way, and Gogol considered the merits of trying to take the soldier out. He would likely not get much information and when the others discovered he was missing, they would most likely send out patrols to search for the man, and that would result in Gogol and his platoon being discovered.  
  
The Japanese lieutenant stopped, and quickly looked over his surroundings. He brushed some fallen snow off of a tree stump, and sat down on it, extracting some paper and a pen.  
  
He's writing home, Gogol thought. Something that Gogol had yet to do, mostly because he had been so terrified of actually going into combat, and he had spent the entire flight over to Siberia in a drunken stupor. He wondered who the soldier was writing to.  
  
Watching carefully, Gogol could see the soldier's face light up as he began to write. Gogol looked closer and could see that the soldier was about the same age as him. Making a quick decision, Gogol moved back and dashed into the woods silently, leaving the Japanese soldier.  
  
Gogol returned to the rendezvous point and discovered his platoon waiting for him.  
  
"Did you find anything useful?" the platoon's NCO asked.  
  
"No, it would seem that they are just camping down for now," Gogol replied. "From what I could tell, their new commander has yet to make any substantial decisions, and is waiting for orders to come forth from his superiors."  
  
"Cowards," the NCO spat.  
  
"Consider this a blessing comrade," Lieutenant Gogol said. "Now that they are unsure of their superiority, we have been given the chance to increase our defense over the bases and cities in Siberia."  
  
The NCO nodded at Gogol's words.  
  
Gogol sat down on the snow covered ground and let a sigh of exasperation. He began to slowly rub at his sore muscles. Gogol decided that his men did not need to hear about his encounter with the Japanese soldier.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Oh wow, I'm starting to think that maybe the low review on the last chapter was because I updated at such an odd time. I guess I'll have to monitor the times I update and pick a moment where the story will stay the longest on the first page; I know most people don't even bother looking at the second page.  
  
Sorry about the long delay between chapters, I've been a little busy. It would seem that my husband, Mr. Clark, will be getting two days leave, and he will be coming home, if only for a day. I've been preparing for that to occur.  
  
France, Germany, China, and Russia. All of those countries are vehemently opposing any military action in Iraq. While I can understand why France and Germany would oppose, and I understand a little why China is, I can't understand Russia's position. The only possible solution that I have come up with is because they do not want to commit soldiers to any kind of attack on Iraq, for fear of reprisal from some of the terrorist fractions, which have spoken out and said that they will attack any country that joins the war in Iraq.  
  
Russia has its own problems, like leftovers from the old Soviet Union, like the Chechen rebels and other terrorist organizations.  
  
At this point I am in the mind set of someone that sees war with Iraq an unavoidable occurrence. This does not mean that I want a war with Iraq to occur, especially considering that my husband will most likely be the first to volunteer his services.  
  
Oh yes, one last thing, I would like to thank all the people that went out and demonstrated for the pro-Bush demonstrations on the weekend, you don't know how much that means to people like me and those that are in the military.  
  
P.S.: To the members of the feminist group who demonstrated outside of the White House. (I apologize to those that object to my language) You have just set feminist groups back about fifty years. Your idiotic demonstration with the name "Code Pink" was little more than an excuse to show your hatred towards the Bush administration. The outline thought that it was about caring for the women of Iraq, who you said will be the people to suffer most if a war occurs (you obviously have forgotten that soldiers will be fighting this war), was a nice message, except that I fail to see where trying to get inside the White House and using force against police officers and getting arrested like a common criminal sends a message that you care for the women of Iraq. "Code Stupidity" would have been a proper name for your demonstration. 


	14. Until the End Chapter 13

Until the End Chapter 13 Massacre  
  
Ranma glanced down at his watch for perhaps the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. He spared a glance behind him and saw that his team was ready and still sitting around, waiting for the linkup team to come in.  
  
Sergeant Kenji Yoshida came up and tapped Ranma on the shoulder.  
  
"Have you heard anything yet?" Sergeant Yoshida asked.  
  
"No," Ranma replied. "But if they're not here in about five more minutes were going to have to do a sweep of that village by ourselves."  
  
"Are you sure that's wise, I mean, there has got to be about three hundred people in there," Sergeant Yoshida said. "I seriously can't recommend that we go gung-ho into that town without any kind of backup."  
  
Ranma turned and regarded his sergeant. "I know this isn't much consolation at this point sergeant, but I agree with you too. But we both know that it's taken too much work to get the new commander to agree that we should start up the siege again, and if we rule out this mission as too dangerous, than we may put the fear right back into him."  
  
"Would that be such a bad thing?" the sergeant asked.  
  
Ranma chose not to answer and returned his attention back to the long path. He shuffled his feet to try and stave the cold off. Ranma's senses were at their peak, and he was going to go insane if he couldn't start moving again. He took a deep breath and checked his watch again. Five thirty in the morning. The sun had risen an hour ago, and it was quite obvious that the town up ahead was wide awake by now.  
  
This is so stupid, Ranma thought.  
  
Early the previous evening, Ranma and his platoon had been called into the CO's tent and given the news that the invasion force would indeed be moving out again. But the goal this time would be to send separate scout squads every ten miles to check for any kind of Russian defense perimeters or for towns and villages.  
  
The tiny villages and towns out in Siberia had been all but forgotten by the Russian government, and it was almost like they were part of a different country, a different culture. Ever since democracy had been introduced to the Russian people, they had been hard hit. Over forty million Russian citizens dwindle below the poverty line, and it is almost impossible to get ahead in your job. The corruptness and under the table dealings were as popular today as they were during the reign of the Soviet Union, maybe even more so today. The Mafia and black market groups controlled much of urban Russia, and the rural centers, like the towns and villages in Siberia, were left alone, with no contribution from the government. Harsh winters and other climate related instances made the struggle one of life or death for these people, and that was what the Chinese and Japanese were hoping to play on when they entered the areas.  
  
Offering the people food and clothing would put faith into their cause, and maybe give them that helpful push to admit if they knew anything about the Russian defenses in the area.  
  
This kind of thinking troubled Ranma, but there wasn't exactly anything he could do about it. Phil's words rang through his head once again.  
  
Disobeying and creating trouble will not only endanger your life, but for you family back in Tokyo it will be worse. Just go along with what your superiors expect from you, and you should be able to get out of this alive.  
  
Ranma tried to push the thought of Phil from his mind. While it hadn't been confirmed yet, recent intelligence documents stated that American troops were en route to Russia, and they were none other than the elite Green Berets, one of America's top Special Forces units.  
  
A rustle in the tree's ahead brought Ranma's attention around. He quickly grabbed his rifle and trained it on the trees while motioning to his men to get into position in case it happened to be a Russian patrol.  
  
"Who goes there!?" Ranma's voice bellowed. He tried to keep his grip on his gun tight though he was afraid that he might crack the casing.  
  
The rustle in the trees stopped and a new voice rang out.  
  
"Your momma!" the voice called back, much to the surprise of Ranma and his troops.  
  
Captain Ninomiya stepped out from the trees and flashed a smile at Ranma and his troops as he playfully stuck his arms above his head.  
  
"Don't shoot," he said in credible Russian-accented Japanese. "I bring women and vodka. Let us drink my comrade."  
  
Ranma lowered his gun and sighed. He had been dreading this moment. When he had been informed that he would be linking up with Captain Ninomiya and his men Ranma had found little problem with it, but it wasn't until a soldier informed him that Captain Ninomiya was regarded as the 7th Platoons wise ass that Ranma realized what an arduous mission it would be.  
  
"Captain," Ranma said formally be way of greeting.  
  
"And a good morning to you to Saotome," Captain Ninomiya said. "Let's hope that this morning will find us well."  
  
"Of course sir," Ranma said tiredly. He tried stretching but was immediately pulled down by the captain. His expression was now one of absolute seriousness.  
  
"Careful, we had the impression that we were being followed. It started just two miles ago but I thought we had lost them. That's why we were a bit late."  
  
Ranma nodded his head and looked back to make sure his men had gotten the word. From the stone-face expressions on their faces he guessed that they had heard correctly. He turned back to the captain.  
  
"So where is this village located?" Ranma asked as the captain removed a map from his pack.  
  
Spreading the map against a tree, the captain pointed.  
  
"About five miles ahead of us," Captain Ninomiya said. "We are to infiltrate the village and round up all civilians, after which we will interrogate them and attempt to gather information on where the Russians have placed their next defensive outpost."  
  
Ranma nodded but said nothing.  
  
"It's just a small agriculture village. Mostly Mongols that are leftovers from the Soviet Union, they should have no trouble understanding what we want."  
  
"And if they do?" Ranma asked.  
  
The captain said nothing and folded the map back up.  
  
"Let's go," Captain Ninomiya said simply and stalked off down the path, making a wind-up signal with his hand.  
  
===============  
  
The village was in fact, not an agriculture site like the Japanese and Chinese intelligence services had reported. The village was actually a relocation site for Russians that had been sent to Siberia by the KGB and other private Russian organizations that worked for the government and dealt with citizens and others that were believed to be carrying out anti- Soviet activities. While their crimes had been excused, and an official apology sent out by the Russian president, some of the more serious offenders were not allowed to return to the Russian society. That was not to mean that they could never return. Despite the fact that the Russian government did not generally care for the people in Siberia, they still sent officials and other people to try and evaluate each person's state of mind and attempt to see if they could be trusted to return to the urban centers of Russia.  
  
The village was, in a sense, a prison, and one where escape was not an option. Though not officially given a name, the prisoners had dubbed the town to be Moscow D.C., a play on the American capital. Each year they were issued new items and tools that would ensure their survival for another year. Even with the things Moscow sent them, Moscow D.C. was not in good condition. The winter this season was the coldest it had been in over three decades, with temperatures falling to the -50 degrees Celsius point. Two townsfolk, a man sent their on charges of sending his child on a boat to an American safe house in 1988, and a woman that had been charged with having sexual relations with a married Politburo member during the final days of the Soviet Union.  
  
Those deaths brought the total number of deaths in the village to twenty seven. A remarkably low number considering the conditions that they lived in. There was deep resentment towards the Russian government, both for their harshness towards them, and for the fact that despite a plea for mercy and movement to more livable conditions, the government continued to ignore.  
  
The village was exactly in this mind set when the Asian soldiers emerged from the distant forest and began to make their way over to the village.  
  
Kovel Maccek, a Slovak that was accused of anti-Soviet activities, was standing near the front of the village, smoking a cigarette and attempting to stave of his hunger. He was the first to spot the soldiers, and was the first to be greeted by them.  
  
"Hello comrade," an older looking captain called out once he was within earshot.  
  
Kovel looked at the man suspiciously, especially concerning the fact that he had just spoken Russian even though he clearly appeared to be of Asian descent.  
  
The Japanese soldier approached and tossed his weapon to his back, though the soldiers behind didn't lower their weapons.  
  
"What do you want?" Kovel asked calmly, though he was beginning to suspect that there was something desperately wrong. He looked behind him and saw that a few of the other villagers were emerging from their homes to get a look at what was happening.  
  
"I am merely here because of orders from my country," the soldier replied. "Are you the leader of this village?"  
  
Kovel immediately began to step back, though he kept his voice clear.  
  
"I am not the leader of this town and I there is no one that can claim that title."  
  
"I see," the Japanese soldier replied, his voice grave. "Well, maybe you can do me a favor then. Could you please round up all the people and have them come out and meet us, there is something that I need to ask them."  
  
Kovel fought the urge to take another step back. When he did not reply right away the Japanese soldier let his hand fall to his gun and an intimidating look came into his eyes.  
  
Turning quickly, Kovel barked out orders to the other village folk. He asked them to come outside and bring everyone in their homes.  
  
It took no more than a few minutes and the whole population of the secluded village was outside by the front of the village. The Japanese soldier did not lose his look of intimidation even as the number of civilians grew to over one hundred, clearly outnumbering him and the other soldiers.  
  
"I will speak bluntly," the soldier shouted to be heard by all the people. "I am a member of the Japanese army. We have been sent here on a mission of liberation with the country of China. We have come to liberate you from the oppressive Russian government. Even as we speak our forces are advancing to take over this land and reclaim it for the glory of our Asian nations. We must ask you if you will accept our movement to remove the iron fist that the Russian government has held over you!"  
  
If the Japanese soldier had actually realized the true effect his words were having on the people of the village he would have kept speaking. But once he stopped he allowed each individual villager to think about his or her condition.  
  
Let it not be said that the citizens of Russia are truly nationalistic, for that would be an untruth. It is true that Russia had more than its fare share of defectors during the Cold War, and had the Soviet Union not collapsed on its own, the Russian people would have probably kept the communist system in place. For a person to make the statement that the Russian people have had a hard life would be a great understatement. There are very few nations that can actually claim an existence that is as bleak and depressing as Russia's. While this has generally created a feeling of depression towards the future that Russia can look forward to, it should be known that the Russian people are an odd people.  
  
For example, if you have ever actually visited Russia, you will no doubt take into account the deep sense of history that the country seems to radiate. Pain and bleakness are reflected when you think of the past that Russia has endured, but the Russian people take a sense of pride when reflecting on the past. Whether it be when the Russian people stopped the German army just outside the gates of the Kremlin even though they were facing an army that was ten times their superior during WWII, or when the country took the incredible transition from the communist regime to democracy, the Russian people will speak of such events with pride.  
  
So, given such facts, it would make sense when each individual in the small prison camp buried deep within Siberia would come to the conclusion that allowing a group of ignorant Asians to take what is rightfully the land of Russia and its people would be a sacrifice that not even the greatest traitors could allow.  
  
"Piss off," Kovel said simply, putting the entire village's thoughts into words.  
  
"Excuse me?" the Japanese soldier said, taken aback.  
  
"You heard me, get the fuck out of this village and go back to your home; you are not welcome in this land. Now remove yourselves from our doorsteps."  
  
A look of rage flashed on the soldier's face and he turned to his troops and shouted something in Japanese. Shock registered on a few of the soldier's faces, and one of them spoke up. It was a young man with his hair tied back in a pigtail. He seemed to seriously object to whatever the soldier said, which in turn made the soldier speak even sharper and point off to the side of the village. The pigtailed soldier looked like he was still uncertain but trudged off with a few soldiers anyway.  
  
The Japanese soldier turned back to the crowd and grabbed his gun. The remaining soldiers behind him did the same.  
  
"I am sorry to hear of your decision," the soldier said.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Saotome didn't need to understand Russian to know just what the man's reply had been to whatever Captain Ninomiya's message was. Despite the captain's orders that Ranma and his platoon do a sweep of the village, Ranma was sure that the captain was just trying to get him to go away.  
  
Unsure of what he should do, Ranma fell back on Phil's words. Do not question what your superiors tell you. Those words helped him make the decision to leave the villagers.  
  
"Are you sure we should leave the captain alone lieutenant?" Sergeant Yoshida asked as he fell into step beside Ranma.  
  
"I am sure that Captain Ninomiya is capable of interrogating the villagers on his own sergeant," Ranma replied smoothly.  
  
"I meant, do you think it is wise to leave the captain alone with the villagers," Yoshida said.  
  
Ranma didn't reply. He moved to one of the many huts that filled the village and opened the door and stepped inside. Ranma quickly moved into the hut and kicked open a far door. He heard a noise and swung his rifle around and pointed it at the person huddling in the corner, his finger about to depress the trigger.  
  
The small child huddling in the corner cried out and flung herself at the ground, whimpering.  
  
Ranma's eyes widened and he quickly removed his finger from the trigger and stared in horror at the small child on the floor.  
  
Sergeant Yoshida came into the room with his rifle ready and saw the child. He lowered his gun and approached the child.  
  
"She's alright, just a little scared," Sergeant Yoshida said to Ranma as he got to his feet. He turned and saw that Ranma hadn't moved from his position. "You alright lieutenant?"  
  
Ranma stared down at his hand as if it were a foreign part of his body. "I-I almost pulled the trigger."  
  
Yoshida was taken aback by the horror that his lieutenant was displaying.  
  
"It's alright sir," Yoshida said. "The child's okay so let's finish clearing the village." Yoshida looked at Ranma one more time before exiting the hut.  
  
Ranma lowered his hand and looked at the small girl that was now huddling in the corner. Another revelation struck him that brought him to his knees.  
  
"S-she looks like Kagome," Ranma said to himself in horror as a soft cry escaped his lips.  
  
The Russian child, seeing that the man that had just scared her seemed to be harmless, got to her feet and walked over to the man and grabbed onto his sleeve with one hand and shook it earnestly.  
  
"(Please, I want to see my mom)," she said in Russian.  
  
The child's voice brought Ranma out of his stupor and he looked at her. The fear that was once plastered across her young face was replaced with childlike innocence.  
  
Ranma was about to say something to the girl when a gunshot rippled through the area. It was quickly followed by a lot more shots. Jumping to his feet, Ranma raced out of the hut, forgetting about the girl. His platoon was standing around and looking in horror to the front of the village, where the shots originated from.  
  
"No!" Ranma shouted and raced towards the front of the village, his men following suit though none were able to match Ranma's speed.  
  
As Ranma rounded the corner he heard the screams from the civilians and the now thunderous roars from the guns of the other soldiers. The sight stopped him in his tracks.  
  
Captain Ninomiya was firing at the villagers with his pistol and the other soldiers were firing full-auto with their rifles as the villagers fled in fright. The crumpled body of the Russian that Ninomiya had initially talked to lay by the captain's feet.  
  
Without stopping, Ranma charged at Ninomiya, letting loose his fury onto the officer's body. He hit the captain repeatedly in the chest, feeling the man's bones split and crack underneath his relentless attack.  
  
"Why?!" Ranma shouted as he grabbed the captain's tunic, holding his face to Ranma's. "Why did you shoot?!"  
  
The captain sputtered and blood erupted from his mouth, along with the pink frothy liquid which was the muscle tissue that had been ripped underneath Ranma's assault.  
  
Ranma tossed the captain's body to the ground and turned to the soldier's from Ninomiya's platoon.  
  
"Why did you shoot?!" Ranma shouted again, his aura raging.  
  
The soldier's backed up, fear running through them as they faced the enraged Ranma.  
  
Just as he was about to charge at them, the sound of gunfire erupted again, but when Ranma looked to see where it came from, three of Ninomiya's soldiers fell down as they were hit from behind.  
  
Shocked silence filled the area as everyone searched for the source of the shots. Just as they were about to relax, the distant tree line exploded with gunfire. Bullets ripped through the soldiers and Ranma was forced to dive to the side, seeking cover behind one of the huts. Ninomiya's body was hit three times, all along his back, which ended the whimpering that had been coming from him.  
  
Ranma was seething in fury before he remembered Ninomiya's words before they had entered the village. A Russian unit had been shadowing them earlier, and he wasn't sure if they had lost them or not.  
  
Cursing the man's stupidity, Ranma brought his gun to his side and began firing short bursts at the trees. He didn't expect to hit anyone, just give them pause. Hearing shouts behind him, Ranma quickly turned to see his platoon running up to the front of the village with their weapons ready.  
  
"The Russians!" Ranma shouted. "The tree line over there, put down some suppression fire!" he ordered.  
  
His platoon quickly assembled and began to lay down fire on the distant trees. Ranma used the momentary distraction to move across open trail to where he saw Sergeant Yoshida crouch down.  
  
"I'm going to need your help with this sergeant," Ranma said. "I need you to grab three soldiers and move about thirty meters down the front path where you'll first hit the front of the village, then your going to move close enough where you think one of our troops will be able to hit them with a Javelin (a kind of rocket-propelled grenade, an advancement over the traditional RPG)."  
  
"Right sir," Yoshida said and called out for the troops to assemble.  
  
Ranma didn't bother sticking around. Taking a deep breath, he sprinted out into the open again, rushing towards the large pile of Japanese soldiers, from Ninomiya's squad. He spotted the soldier that had been carrying a radio and quickly removed it from his corpse. Just as he was about to get back to his feet, Ranma felt the pressure of something slamming into his back. Thinking that he was shot, Ranma fell to the ground.  
  
He immediately noticed that he had not been hit, but the pack he had on his back had. Just as he was about to laugh, he heard the hissing of a phosphorous grenade. Stripping of his pack, Ranma saw that the bullet had ripped through his pack and had hit a phosphorous grenade inside. It was about to blow up.  
  
"Shit!" Ranma shouted as he tossed his pack out into the distant field, a few seconds before it detonated in a shower of flames. Breathing deeply, Ranma looked at the radio in his hand. He had been intending to use it to call for backup, but he had accidentally crushed it in his hand when he thought he had been shot.  
  
As bullets began to impact the ground near him, Ranma realized that he wasn't safe out in the open. He ducked behind another hut and looked out.  
  
Sergeant Yoshida and three other soldiers were running down along the path, two soldiers behind totting the large Javelin. They reached the first stop point and Ranma realized that Yoshida and the others would be cut down if the Russians kept their fire centered on them.  
  
He reached for the fragmentation grenade on his flak jacket and pulled it off. He pulled the pin and let the safety clip fly off. Winding his arm back, Ranma hurled the grenade with as much strength as he could muster, and watched as the grenade traveled to within seven feet of the trees and detonated.  
  
The explosion must have shook the Russians, but they only directed half of their fire on Ranma, and kept the rest on Yoshida and the others.  
  
"This'll get their attention," Ranma said to himself as he leapt once again out from under cover and faced the trees. Gathering his concentration, Ranma sent a ki blast hurtling across the open field to the trees. Several trees were ripped from the ground and sent tumbling through the air.  
  
The Russians must have been stupefied, for all the firing from the trees stopped. Luckily for Ranma and the others, Yoshida and the three soldiers had come to expect the unnatural when it came to their leader, for they were only momentarily stopped with awe.  
  
"Do it!" Ranma shouted as Yoshida and his men got within the Javelin's range. As Ranma had guessed, Yoshida was the soldier that fired the Javelin, and as he had guessed, the rocket propelled grenade traveled through the field and impacted the trees dead center. Shrapnel and fire killed the Russian soldiers, and sent them agonizing deaths as the fire that resulted from the explosion as it continued to spread over the area.  
  
===============  
  
The troops slowly came to stand in the front of the village, surveying the carnage that had resulted from the firefight, and the massacre that had occurred before. Ninomiya's platoon had been completely wiped out by the Russians, and Ninomiya was himself dead. Ranma was thankful that none of his troops had seen him beat Ninomiya to the point where he would have died even without the help of the Russian soldiers.  
  
The villagers were strewn about the area, most hit in the back as they ran from Ninomiya. Ranma bent down over an older woman. She appeared to be in her late thirties. The shocked expression that was on her face had not disappeared even with death. Her eyes were open and they displayed a look of sadness and fear.  
  
"This is my fault," Ranma said suddenly, surprising his troops. "If I hadn't allowed Ninomiya to order me off, we could have protected these people. They didn't have to die."  
  
Most of the troops shifted uncomfortably, not used to seeing the emotion displayed from their lieutenant. Sergeant Yoshida spoke up after a long silence.  
  
"I believe that we should contact the reaction force," he said quietly. "We will need to make a report about what happened here and the engagement with the Russian forces."  
  
"No," Ranma said. "Not yet, first we will give these people proper burials. It is the least we can do for them."  
  
He reached down and placed his hand over the woman's eyes, closing them for the last time. Ranma sighed and was about to get up when he spotted someone standing behind one of the huts. It was the small child that he had left in the hut.  
  
The girl had hidden in the hut during the firefight, but had emerged when she noticed that the shooting had stopped. Fear was running through her as she saw the soldiers and the village people lying dead in the road. Her eyes centered on Ranma, and then shifted down to the woman that was lying limply in his lap.  
  
"Momma!" she cried and started to run. She reached Ranma and threw herself beside the woman, desperately pulling on the sleeve of her shirt. "Please, wake up."  
  
Ranma did not understand Russian, but he could easily guess what the child was whimpering. He reached forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
The child immediately pulled away, and turned to Ranma, tears and fear on her face. "Please wake up my momma!" the child cried and buried her head in Ranma's shoulder. She began crying into his shoulder and mumbling incoherently.  
  
Ranma's hand slowly came down to rest on the child's head. He very tenderly rubbed the child's head as his own tears collected in his eyes.  
  
Goddamn this war, he said to himself as he felt the girl's hot tears through his thick tunic.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I wrote this chapter in one sitting, and I hope that explains just why it seems to be so powerful. Ranma is slowly becoming unglued. The constant exposures to the horrors of war are slowly taking their toll on him, and because of his past mental problems, they may begin to manifest themselves in what he is doing. Look for Phil to make his appearance in Siberia next chapter.  
  
I want to thank everyone for reviewing and e-mailing me about their opinions, and I must say you all have a lot of them, each a little different than the next. I'm not going to make any kind of political talk this time around, as I think it would be nice to hear about your opinions on this chapter.  
  
For those wondering about the line that the small Russian child looked like Ranma, well, if you have ever gotten a good look at someone from Siberia, you will notice several clear distinctions that make them look Asian. 


	15. Until the End Chapter 14

Until the End Chapter 14 The Psychological Aspects  
  
Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome, his thick tunic lying beside him, let out a groan of agony as he stretched his back. The sun had risen too its peak and the temperature was now a few degrees above Celsius. Perfect weather for a nice day.  
  
Ranma finished his stretch and reached back down to his shovel and began finishing what seemed to be his hundredth grave.  
  
The decision to dig an individual grave for each villager had come from Ranma himself, and he had also opted to be the one to dig each grave.  
  
"No," Ranma said shaking his head. "I will not complain. This is my atonement for letting these people die. Just keep digging."  
  
It had taken nearly seven hours to dig the one hundred and seven graves for the village, and the process of moving each body into the grave started. Ranma, refusing to take a rest, continued to help, and eventually, each grave was sealed. The bodies of the Japanese soldiers had been lined up by the head of the village, waiting to be picked up by the team that would eventually come looking for them. Ranma forced himself to not let his eyes fall on their bodies.  
  
It was late in the afternoon when everything was finished, and it had taken its toll on all of the men, both physically and mentally. They retired near a fenced off area and began to finish of their last MRE rations. The small Russian girl had been sleeping during the entire ordeal, mostly from the exhaustion that had resulted from the emotional strain she had been put under. Ranma and the others came to the conclusion that she was about four years old. Ranma himself had also come to the conclusion that she was the spitting image of his young daughter. A conclusion that provided no real comfort.  
  
Ranma returned to the hut that the girl had been sleeping in just as she was waking up. Ranma found himself frozen in place as the girl slowly rose from the cot she had been sleeping on. The girl slowly became aware of the fact that someone was watching her and turned to look at Ranma, her gaze fearful as well as curious.  
  
He tried taking a reassuring step forward, but the girl shrank back in fear. Her eyes were focused near his waist. Ranma glanced down and saw that he had his rifle hung there. Cursing his own stupidity, Ranma removed the gun and set it down outside, and as an afterthought, he removed his web belt that contained his hand gun. Making sure his hands were in plain view, Ranma resumed his slow entry into the room.  
  
The girl did not take her eyes off of him as he walked by the cot and took a seat on a crudely fashioned chair. Ranma tried to smile, and the girl offered him a weak smile in return.  
  
Ranma's sharp ears detected the slight growl of the young girl's stomach and he correctly guessed that she had not eaten anything since the day before. Getting to his feet, Ranma walked over to the cot and took a seat. He removed a small package of ten-to-one rations and opened the package of slightly salted crackers. He handed it to the girl, and she accepted it, though keeping the distance between them to a maximum. Ranma sat, contented to hear her eat the crackers.  
  
Once she was finished, the girl relaxed a little, though she was still quite wary of Ranma. Ranma turned around to look at her and smiled, this time naturally.  
  
First things first, he thought to himself. I should probably learn her name.  
  
"Ranma," he said, getting the girl's attention. He pointed to his name tag and repeated, "Ranma."  
  
"Ranma," the girl said, with a Russian accent. She pointed at herself. "Natalie."  
  
"Natalie," Ranma said and smiled, which triggered a smile from the girl. "Pleased to meet you," he said, holding his canteen of water out to her.  
  
She accepted the water and took a deep drink. Just as she returned the canteen to Ranma, Sergeant Yoshida came into the hut, his face grim.  
  
"The reaction force is here lieutenant."  
  
"I'll be right out," Ranma said and got up. As a second thought, he held out his hand, offering it to Natalie. She took his offered hand and got up, off of the cot.  
  
"Are you sure you should take her with you?" Sergeant Yoshida asked as Ranma walked out of the hut.  
  
"Whether it is a good idea or not sergeant, I am not going to allow anything to happen to her. If the other soldiers have a problem with it, than they're going to have to take it up with me."  
  
Sergeant Yoshida was wise enough to understand when his lieutenant had made up his mind. There was nothing short of physically removing the girl (and he was not so stupid to actually try) that would make Lieutenant Saotome leave the girl. He decided to sigh and follow his lieutenant, for fear that he may not understand the danger that he was facing.  
  
Ranma himself was unsure as to why he felt such an affinity with the young Russian girl. A part of his mind was saying that it was because Natalie looked so much like his young daughter Kagome, but that just didn't seem like it could be the real reason.  
  
Maybe I've finally gone off the deep end, Ranma thought to himself. The fact that this thought did not bring any kind of thoughts against it scared him enough to keep the subject from his mind.  
  
Before he knew it, Lieutenant Saotome had come nearly face to face with the commander of the reaction force. Startled, Ranma released Natalie's hand and snapped a quick salute to the man.  
  
"It's good to see you alive lieutenant," the major said. Ranma could just remember that this was the major that had talked him into talking with the new invasion commander. "Do you think you could give me a recap over the events that occurred here?"  
  
Ranma snapped out of his revere and nodded his head. "Yes sir. We linked up with Captain Ninomiya's platoon around 0530 hours yesterday, and we were then led by Captain Ninomiya into this small town, in order to deliver the message that we were members of the invasion force that was going to liberate them from the oppressive Russian government. The citizens refused to tell us anything and from what I could gather, managed to piss Ninomiya off. Captain Ninomiya then sent my platoon to recon the village. Once we had moved off, we discovered this child," Ranma said, indicating Natalie.  
  
"Shortly thereafter we heard several short bursts, which I presumed to be from a pistol, and then we heard some screaming and the great succession of assault rifle fire. I raced ahead of my team without thinking and I stumbled upon the scene of Ninomiya and his troops firing at the villagers as they tried to run away. As I was attempting to disarm Ninomiya and his men, a Russian patrol opened fire from the trees, killing Ninomiya and his men. Sergeant Yoshida and three other soldiers wiped out the Russian patrol with a Javelin."  
  
The major closed his eyes softly and muttered a curse.  
  
"How many villagers were killed?" the major asked Ranma.  
  
"All of them sir, except this child," Ranma replied.  
  
"Good god, what did you do with the bodies?"  
  
"We buried them sir, along with our soldiers as well, I was unsure what kind of animals would be attracted to the corpses."  
  
"Okay," the major nodded. "I am issuing orders here and I do not want to have to repeat myself. I am going to report what happened here, but I do not want any of your soldiers to say a word of it to anyone. We are going to burn this village down, because if it so happens that the enemy, either the Russians or the Americans, get wind of what happened here, then it will spell the end of this mission, and the end for Japan."  
  
"Sir?" Ranma asked, confused.  
  
"Goddamnit lieutenant! I gave you an order and I expect it to be obeyed!" the major said furiously.  
  
"Understood sir," Ranma said softly, lightly placing his hand on Natalie's shoulder and lead her away.  
  
===============  
  
"Alright boys lets get this show on the road," Brigadier General Phillip Sheridan Parker IV shouted over the drone of the helicopter's motor. He smiled briefly as he got reaffirming grunts from the men in the helicopter. He stood up and peered out the side door of the helicopter. His smile faltered somewhat as he saw the approaching Russian base. Their were crews standing around waiting for the American helicopters, and General Parker felt a wave of euphoria wash over him. He was heading out to war once again, for the fourth time in his life he would be participating in the deadly game of war. In a way it was almost a relief to get back into this style of life, for he had felt a growing boredom with life in a peacetime army.  
  
As the helicopters touched down and the crews disassembled, Phil was approached by a Russian soldier, and like him, he was a general. They exchanged salutes and smiled briefly at each other.  
  
"It is relief to see men your," the Russian general said in bad English. "I regret that I have not the good English."  
  
"That is alright," General Parker said in Russian. "If you so wish we can speak in Russian."  
  
"Ah," the Russian general smiled. "That would be most accommodating."  
  
Phillip was lead away from the unloading of the gear and into what Parker presumed was the office of the commanding officer. He was shown to a seat and the Russian general moved to a chair. On the table between the two chairs, was a very large map, which was a blown-up satellite photo of Siberia. There were markings on it, indicating where Russian defenses were set up, and where the invading Chinese and Japanese forces were, or at least thought to be.  
  
The Russian general spread the map out a bit more and set clasps in place to ensure that the map did not shift.  
  
"From the last satellite images we have acquired, it would seem that the Chinese and Japanese are at least fifty kilometers away from Aldan. We have reasonable information that states that their force is spread out about four kilometers wide. The city of Neryungri was passed over, but the Chinese set up a perimeter around the city, and I would doubt that they are letting many trucks inside. Despite our higher than anticipated defense in the initial bout with them, they are still managing to make about forty kilometers a day, which is impressive given the poor road conditions in southern Siberia."  
  
"When is the next defense planned?" Parker asked as he scanned the map.  
  
"Here," the Russian general said, pointing at a location about twenty kilometers south of Aldan.  
  
"Hmm," Parker said. "Do you have any troops shadowing the scout forces?"  
  
"Yes, in fact we have one soldier doing that that you may have heard of, a Lieutenant Gogol."  
  
"The soldier that wiped out the commanding officer of the invading force?" Parker asked.  
  
"Yes," the Russian general replied. "He has been shadowing them for almost a week now. We were hoping that you Americans could help relieve the stress that shadowing them causes. We are stretched thin as it is, and wherever you can help it would be appreciated."  
  
"Well, let's start up the choppers and you can take me and some others out to the front lines. I would like to see just how well those Chinese and Japanese can fight."  
  
Parker smiled as he saw the surprise on the general's face.  
  
"You mean you are going out as well?"  
  
"There isn't a rule saying that a general can't get his hands dirty is there?" Parker asked. "In fact I rather prefer it to actually sitting out."  
  
"You Americans are insane," the general said, though a smile was on his face.  
  
"You're damn right were crazy, and were also going to help you win this war."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I apologize for this short chapter and the length of time it's been since I updated. But I would hope you all can understand. I'm sure you all no doubt know that Coalition troops have entered Iraq and are now attempting to remove Saddam Hussein from power.  
  
This has caused no end of worrying for me, and I was quite worried already. I finally decided to move into the temporary housing development provided for the dependants of officers. At least while I'm here I will be able to actually do something. Oh, and yes, if anyone is wondering, my husband, Mr. Clark, is fighting in the war. It would seem that he knew all along that he would be sent in, I do not want to disclose the exact name of the division or battalion he is in, but I will say that he has already been wounded in action. A rocket-propelled grenade missed its target when his division or battalion was moving into an unnamed Iraqi city, and my husband caught shrapnel all along his leg.  
  
But this was only a minor wound, and from what I have last heard, he is back in the commander's seat. I am proud of him, but worried nonetheless.  
  
I would like to ask those people that read this to send their prayers to the Coalition forces, and for the civilians in Iraq. I don't much care if you support this war or not, but the men and women of this country are fighting in a war, and they deserve support. Whether you want to believe it or not, they are doing something that most likely everyone that reads this can't fathom.  
  
And finally, I do not know when I will write a new chapter, but when I do I promise it will have Akane, Akari, Ishii, and Kimura in it. 


	16. Until the End Chapter 15

Until the End Chapter 15 Discontent  
  
"Remind me the next time you ask for a favor that I should jump out the nearest window," Akane said as she struggled underneath the weight of both Ishii and Katsu. She put more weight upon her left leg as she rested her right. She kept her gaze on Akari, who was holding a small radio that was keeping her in contact with the rest of the team.  
  
"And I will inform you once again that you are the one that wanted to be a part of this thing Akane," Ishii said, from on top of Katsu. "Now if you can just give me a little more of a boost I think I can reach the damn window."  
  
Akane put forth a great amount of force and slowly raised both men higher using her arms. "I may have wanted to take part in this, but I sure didn't want to be a stepping stool," Akane said as she struggled to keep her balance.  
  
Ishii chose not to reply and instead concentrated on opening the window without triggering the mechanical alarm. It was a very simple lock to overcome, and years prior spent in the Yakuza had given Ishii a very firm understanding of burglary. The problem was the window he wanted to enter was seventeen feet off the ground. Another problem at the moment was that him and the others were attempting to break into the Ministry of Intelligence, in order to steal computer files that they hoped they could use against the Japanese government.  
  
Akane saw something out of the corner of her eye. It was Akari, and she was frantically waving at them.  
  
"Uh oh," Akane said. She looked up at the two men she was supporting. "Looks like something's coming."  
  
Ishii grunted from exertion and finally slipped the window open, keeping the alarm from triggering. " Bingo," he said and slipped inside. He turned around and hauled Katsu in as well; he then looked down at Akane. "Go find out what's happening and then come back."  
  
Akane nodded and ran over to Akari. "What's up?"  
  
Akari held up her hand and signaled Akane to wait. She pressed her ear to the radio. After a moment she lowered the radio and looked at Akane.  
  
"On the east wing of the building the guard finished his sweep, and now he's heading over here. It should take him about five minutes to reach the floor Ishii just entered, so he's got to be quick."  
  
"Five minutes? I don't think that's going to be enough time," Akane said.  
  
"Well it's got to be, because I don't like their chances if that guard happens to stumble onto them as they're stealing files from the Information Minister's computer," Akari said.  
  
Akane shook her head ruefully. "Maybe they could knock the guard unconscious if he catches them?"  
  
"I don't think so," Akari replied. "If the guard manages to get a good look at Ishii's face, then it's going to be all over the news, and he'll be hunted down."  
  
"Well, let's just hope that they're fast then," Akane said and ran back to the part of the building that Ishii and Katsu entered.  
  
"Ishii!" Akane whispered sharply. No one responded. "Ishii!" she said louder.  
  
"Are you trying to get us caught?" Ishii asked tiredly as he reappeared in the window.  
  
"The guard finished his sweep of the east wing and he's on his way there. You've got about four minutes until he finds you so bust your ass getting those files," Akane called up to him.  
  
"Shit," Ishii cursed and disappeared inside once again. He looked around the darkened room and tried to locate Katsu. He found him trying to open the door leading into the Information Minister's office with a small pair of burglar's tools.  
  
"Katsu!" Ishii called sharply. Katsu looked up from his work and back at Ishii. "Leave this to me; you get the hell out of here."  
  
"But Ishii-" Katsu started to protest but was silenced by Ishii.  
  
"If you think that a life spent as a businessman will make you the ideal burglar than you are greatly mistaken my friend. Allow me to deal with this," Ishii said."  
  
Katsu frowned, but got to his feet and walked to the window.  
  
"If you are discovered and killed I am not accepting the blame," he said as he jumped from the window into the waiting arms of Akane.  
  
"And I would not expect you to," Ishii called down after him. He quickly made his way through the room and over to the door Katsu had been working on. He chuckled a bit when he saw that the tools Katsu had been trying to use were intended to be used on magnetically channeled alarms on sliding panel doors with a glass interior.  
  
Selecting the right tools, Ishii began to work on the door, absently checking his watch. Two minutes until the guard began his nightly sweep of the area. If he intended to get out of here undetected, he would have to do what Akane suggested.  
  
The door was unlocked in fifteen seconds and Ishii quickly placed his kit back into his jacket pocket. He searched the room and found the minister's computer. He started the boot sequence and sat back in the minister's chair pulling the disks from his pocket and setting them on the desk. He checked his watch again as the computer came to the login scene. One minute.  
  
He tried a few random passwords but none allowed him access. He was beginning to sweat as he was quickly running out of ideas. Thinking quickly, Ishii clicked on the "Help" icon and was immediately greeted with a new window. He quickly looked at his options and selected the "New User" icon. Another screen popped up, asking him to create a new password.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me," Ishii said and laughed slightly. So much for being the minister of intelligence, this guy wasn't suited to be minister of waste disposal.  
  
After a quick search through the files Ishii found what he was looking for. He slipped his disk inside just as the door to the outer office opened.  
  
"Oh shit," Ishii whispered under his breath.  
  
===============  
  
"What's taking him so long?" Akane said.  
  
Akari lowered the radio from her ear. "It looks like the guard just entered the office. If he spots Ishii its all over."  
  
Akane stared up at the window. "Come on stupid, get the hell out of there."  
  
===============  
  
The guard let his flashlight fall over a few of the cubicles that adorned the room and was about to turn back to leave when he noticed the minister's door was ajar. He remembered that he had said good night to the minister almost three hours ago, and that the last of the minister's aides had left for the evening.  
  
Maybe the fool had left his door open. Shaking his head, he walked over to the door, intending to close it. Just as he was about to grasp the handle, his foot hit something. Looking down, the guard saw that he had kicked something small and metal. He reached down and picked up the object and examined it in the light provided by his flashlight. It seemed to be a kind of pick or something.  
  
His curiosity aroused, the guard stepped into the office, and was startled to see that the minister's computer was turned on. Realizing that something was definitely askew, the guards hand went back to his club, which was his only authorized weapon, and he scanned the room.  
  
The room was quiet, except for the gently whirring noise provided by the computer's internal fans. Walking over to the computer, he checked the monitor. The computer was just on the desktop, and no windows were on the screen. Shrugging his shoulders, the guard reached down and shut the monitor off. He chuckled a little at the thought of going on the minister's computer, but the thought of being caught quickly put it from his mind. Walking to the door, he grasped the handle and pulled the door closed.  
  
Now in the outer office, the guard felt a chill as a cool breeze blew past him. He looked to the wall and noticed that one of the window's were open. It was the middle of winter, and considering that heating bills were doubling for this month, it seemed an odd occasion to have a window open.  
  
The guard walked over to it and set his flashlight down. He grasped the top of the window and was about to slide it down when his eyes caught movement in the courtyard. He caught a slight glimpse of what looked to be a young woman standing in the bushes on the far west fence. His hand went to his radio just as something from behind grabbed him and he was thrown backwards roughly.  
  
He toppled into a cubicle wall and crashed through it. He had drawn the club from his waist and was about to get to his feet when he saw the person that had attacked him. Getting to his feet quickly, the guard charged the figure and swung at him with his club. The man dodged and knocked him back again, this time not as roughly.  
  
The guard was forced to move back a few paces when the man hit him in the side with a kick, sending him into the table where his flashlight had been resting on. He tipped the table over, but not before he had managed to get his flashlight back in his hand. He hit the ground, but rolled quickly and got back to his feet just as the man charged at him again. Reacting on instinct, the guard flashed his light right in the direction of the man's face, completely blinding him.  
  
The guard lashed out and struck the intruder in the face with his club, the man recoiled from the blow, and when the guard began to follow through with another blow, the attacker seemed to recover and quickly evaded the strike and hit the guard two more times before pushing him roughly to the ground. The guard caught sight of the attacker jumping from the window just as his head impacted the corner of the table, sending him into unconsciousness.  
  
===============  
  
"Goddamn that hurts!" Ishii hissed as Akane applied more salve to Ishii's bruise.  
  
"Sheesh," Akane said. "I can't believe you let yourself get caught, do you realize what's going to happen if he can remember what you look like?"  
  
"Yeah," Ishii replied sarcastically. "I'll get arrested for sneaking into a government official's office and then I will be held on charges of treason and I will be hung in Tokyo Tower where the public can laugh at me."  
  
"Can't you ever be serious?" Akane asked shaking her head.  
  
"Look Akane," Ishii sighed. "I admit that I screwed up tonight but hey, at least I got the messages right?"  
  
"And what good will those do when you get arrested and so do the rest of us huh?" Akane shot back. She let out a breath and began to gently brush some of the dried blood from Ishii's face.  
  
Akari came into the living room and set her laptop down. She spun it around and showed the screen to Akane and Ishii.  
  
The screen showed an e-mail that had been sent by the Prime Minister, it was addressed to the Minister of Intelligence.  
  
I need to have the shooter taken care of. He has begun to be a thorn in my side and I would appreciate it if you could arrange to have him eliminated as soon as possible. He has threatened to leak the news to the public about my ordering the death of the Emperor.  
  
Shizuko  
  
Ishii jumped to his feet. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "The dumb bastard, he just signed his impeachment papers!"  
  
"Keep your voice down," Akane said. "God, I do not want the neighbors to hear you and call the police."  
  
"Don't you see what this means?" Ishii said as he lifted Akane to her feet. "If we release this to the public than the Prime Minister will be out of there, and we can get the Japanese troops to pull out of Russia and Ranma can come home."  
  
"I wouldn't go that far," Akari said from the other side of the table. "I found this message near the end, it was sent the day before the Japanese and Chinese troops entered Russia." She selected a different file and pulled up another message, this one longer than the first.  
  
American satellites passed over the facility to the north about seven hours ago. We are unsure at the moment if this means that they are aware of the ICBM's that we have developed there, but we cannot assume anything. We need to get those warheads and missiles out of there and to ship them further south. We have about three hours before anymore satellites are expected to move over this area. That should give us enough time to move the missiles to a new location, please ensure that no information is leaked.  
  
On another note, it would seem that the Chinese are very interested in our nuclear weapons, I received a call from President Zhisheng the other day and he asked if I would ever consider using our weapons on targets located in both the United States and Russia. I told him that if the opportunity arose, I would not shy away from it. This being said, the Chinese president has also asked if it would be possible for me to relocate some of our troops that are fighting in Russia at this moment, and move them to places of high military value in the PRC. I am unsure of why he asked this and I did not give him a definite answer. I need some advice on that subject.  
  
Shizuko  
  
Ishii slowly sank to his knees in disbelief. "N-nuclear weapons?"  
  
Akari nodded her head sadly. "I don't really understand what this means, but if the Prime Minister gets threatened like were intending to do, won't this just make him desperate and the chances that he might use those weapons be more of a threat?"  
  
"Yeah," Akane answered. "And if they use those weapons, and they get America or Russia, it will be our fault."  
  
"What?" Ishii asked sharply.  
  
"Well think about," Akane said. "We present this information, the Prime Minister freaks out over it and launches the nukes because of it, and they hit those countries, all because we came out with that info."  
  
Ishii's face screwed up in thought. "Shit your right," he said. He slammed his fist down on the table hard enough to make the girls jump. "Goddamnit we were so close!"  
  
Akane rubbed Ishii's shoulder. "What other choice do we have Ishii? We can't release this information if we actually intend to be able to live with ourselves."  
  
"Your right," Ishii sighed. "I guess this means tonight was a pretty big waste huh?"  
  
Akane smiled. "Not really, we finally got to do something other than sit around the house worrying. And were both very thankful for that."  
  
"You are?" Ishii asked.  
  
"Yep," Akane replied. "But next time I expect to have a bigger role than as the low woman on the totem poll."  
  
"Alright," Ishii said. "Next time you'll have an even better job."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Ishii said with a grin. "You'll get to hold my tools next time. It seems I lost my pick when I was in there."  
  
Ishii started to laugh, which was unfortunate for him, because he failed to see Akane's fist heading straight for his stomach.  
  
===============  
  
"I would think that one would be used to this by now," Lieutenant Gogol said as he tried to make his way through the very thick snow. He cursed as he felt his legs begin to numb as the cold began to seep into his thick pants. The sound of a helicopter flying overhead made him crouch down and move in behind a tree. He cast a wary glance to the sky and caught a glimpse of several helicopters moving in towards the open clearing. The helicopters came to a hover over the clearing but did not move to land.  
  
Landing was obviously a bad idea as the snow would surely give way underneath the massive weight of the helicopters. Rope lines were thrown from the helicopter and the soldiers inside began to attach themselves to it. The men began their ascent from the helicopters.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol realized at that moment that the men that were just touching the ground were not Japanese or Chinese, they were American. He quickly became aware that he was standing right in their vantage point, and a couple of soldiers were waving him in.  
  
Realizing that they could have easily shot him from where he stood, Gogol moved down into the clearing where the men were waiting. He arrived just as the last of the soldiers touched down and the helicopters turned and banked to leave in the direction they had just come from.  
  
Gogol was met by a very large black man wearing the insignia designating him as an American general. On impulse he saluted, and had the salute returned. He was surprised when the general spoke to him in Russian.  
  
"Are you Lieutenant Gogol?" the American general asked.  
  
"Yes sir," Gogol responded. "May I ask what the general is doing here?"  
  
The general smiled. "First let's get the introductions out of the way, I am General Phillip Parker, and the other soldiers you see are members of the Green Beret's. We have been sent by our President to see if we might be able to hold those chinks back."  
  
Gogol, who was surprised over General Parker's behavior, did not respond, and instead glanced around at the Americans that had formed up behind the general.  
  
"Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way Lieutenant Gogol, how's about you tell me where you last left our enemy," General Parker said.  
  
Gogol, realizing that the general had asked him something, pulled his map from his pocket. He indicated to separate points on the map, the distance between almost three miles.  
  
"I left half my platoon here," Gogol said, pointing with his finger, "and the other half here. I was on my way back to the waypoint that we had set up so the scouts that were assigned the duties of covering the enemy would be able to relay new information and to receive more rations and ammo if it happened that a unit was forced into action. I had been informed the last time I reached the waypoint that our forces were planning on mounting another defense, but this time just outside of Alden. Is this true?"  
  
General Parker nodded. "Yes, but it was hoped that with our arrival we may be able to create enough confusion on the Chinese and Japanese side that you Russians could form an effective defense out near these coordinates," he said and pointed to the chart.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol nodded his head but a look of uncertainty crossed his face. "As much as I would like to believe that our forces could actually be ready there general, from what I've seen it would take a lot of counteractions on our parts to actually delay these forces."  
  
General Parker smiled. "Well lieutenant, that's where we come in."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Hello again. Despite my warning last time, it would seem that the writing of this chapter occurred much sooner than I anticipated. The actual reason is because I had originally been intending to go and organize a meeting of all the wives and dependants of soldiers that are in the Gulf right now. But it was cancelled, because of a large amount of declines to actually attend the get together if it had indeed occurred.  
  
I do not blame them for declining, but I'm going to have to be making the rounds tomorrow so that I might persuade some of the others to come. It might seem like an odd thing to do when our loved ones are at war, but if you don't get out of the house you'll end up going crazy waiting for the commander of the post and the post chaplain to come walking up the front steps of your house. I learned that from when my husband went to fight in the first Gulf War.  
  
I would like to thank everyone for reviewing last chapter, even if it was kind of short. And I would like to thank everybody that took the time to read it as well. 


	17. Until the End Chapter 16

Until the End Chapter 16 Confrontation  
  
Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome watched silently as the 77th Light Armored Division rolled down the path ahead of him. As the last halftrack disappeared from around the bend, Ranma got to his feet and walked down the slight hill he had been resting on and joined his platoon. Approaching his NCO, Ranma retrieved the platoon map from the radioman and unfolded it.  
  
"We have about four days of walking before we reach Alden," Ranma said as he measured the distance from their present position to the Russian city. "The guys from armored say that they'll set up a perimeter around the city so as to make sure that no Russian troops can escape and we'll be safe from a counterattack."  
  
"You sure about that Lieutenant, wasn't it last week that the 67th got ambushed just outside of the border by that American Special Forces group?" Sergeant Yoshida asked.  
  
Ranma turned a heated glare at his sergeant. "It was not confirmed that an American division did that sergeant, and I would like to remind you that we are not here to make presumptions."  
  
"Yes sir," Sergeant Yoshida said. "And I would like to remind you that we may be soldiers but we are not morons."  
  
The entire platoon seemed to hold their breaths as Lieutenant Saotome turned his head and stared at Sergeant Yoshida in shock. For what seemed like an eternity, nothing happened.  
  
Finally, Ranma's face cracked into a grin and he slapped Sergeant Yoshida on the back. "Heh well said buddy." Ranma turned to look at the rest of the platoon as he heard almost every man release their breath.  
  
"So," Sergeant Yoshida began, "I want your honest opinion now, do you really believe that there aren't American Special Forces in Russia?"  
  
Ranma sighed. "I can't really say sergeant, but on a personal level I'm going to have to go on the thought that I hope, for our sakes, that they are not here in Russia."  
  
Yoshida nodded, obviously contented with his lieutenant's response. He turned to the other men of the platoon. "Alright boys, lets move it, we've got about seven hours before we have to link of with 3rd Squad and they've got a head start, so let's bust some ass!"  
  
Ranma found himself smiling at his sergeant's actions. Despite the harried conditions, he had discovered that he had been growing more and more accustomed to having the man by his side. Even though Sergeant Yoshida was almost a decade older than Ranma, and had actually been enlisted in the Japanese armed forces before the start of the war, there had developed a deep kinship between the two men. Each had looked and found a great many of attributes in each man that they admired.  
  
Ranma, who had never really been able to cast the title of friend around very easily, had come to think of Yoshida as just that, a friend. But after thinking of that, Ranma thought about all the other men that he had been able to call his friends. While some would have anything but to be called his friend, there were those who had wanted to be more, and there was of course the man that Ranma still considered to be his best friend, even if he might be dead.  
  
Shaking his head, Lieutenant Saotome picked up his pace as he and his platoon marched deeper and deeper into Siberia, towards a goal that none of them could see, and an outcome that none of them would ever have fathomed.  
  
===============  
  
"Do you think the general would be mad if I popped one of these nips?" a Green Beret sergeant asked of the soldiers beside him as he gazed through the scope of his rifle, letting it follow the platoon leader of the Japanese platoon they had been following for half a day.  
  
"What he thinks does not matter sergeant," a voice from behind the two men said.  
  
The two Green Berets turned and saw General Parker, carrying his XM25 semi-automatic sniper rifle in the crook of his arm. Both of the soldiers were surprised to see the sniper rifle being carried by the general.  
  
The XM25 had originally been built as a result of the requirement for a match grade M14 for Special Forces sniper teams. It had, after extensive testing, been distributed to both U.S. Special Forces teams and the elite Navy Seals. The XM25 was operated by rotating bolt, gas operated, with semi- automatic magazines fed into the rifle. It weighed 4.9 kg, and was 112 cm long. Being quite a large weapon, it was only used by sniper teams, which explained the surprised expressions that the two Green Beret's sported when they saw their commander walking up to their position carrying the rifle.  
  
"And watch those racist comments of yours," General Parker chided as he knelt down. "We can't all be white albinos straight from Mississippi."  
  
"Right sir," the Green Beret sergeant replied. "Sorry sir. As I was inquiring before, do you think it might be possible if we could maybe take out this platoon, before they are too close to the armored battalion that went ahead of them?"  
  
General Parker thought about the sergeant's question. There had already been a plan put in motion to eliminate as many of the single infantry platoons traveling without support. Parker had already informed the other leaders that he was going to set up an ambush for the Chinese heavy tank battalion and the infantry divisions it traveled with. Maybe it would be a good idea to take out a platoon that may prove troubling later on.  
  
"Let me get a good look at them first," General Parker said as he set the XM25 on the ground and stretched his body out; making sure that he was in perfect position. After ensuring that the rifle was properly positioned, General Parker gazed into the scope, quickly adjusting the sights to be on target. He slowly moved the scope across the Japanese infantrymen, checking for any type of irregularities. After checking out the enlisted men, Parker moved the rifle to point at the platoon leader and the NCO.  
  
There was something familiar about how the platoon leader walked. Somewhere in the back of Parker's mind it was telling him that this was very important, but he couldn't place it. Shrugging once, Parker reached down and grabbed a 20 round magazine and fed it into the stock of the XM25. The rifle had a range well over a thousand yards, and Parker had no trouble aligning his sights on the platoon leader. Just as he chambered a round, something caught Parker's eye.  
  
As the lieutenant hopped over a fallen tree, his helmet shifted, and the pigtail that had been conveniently tucked inside came out, flopping down in a manner that served to almost physically strike Parker.  
  
Feeling his entire body begin to tremble, Parker removed his face from the rifle scope and tried to catch his breath.  
  
Goddamnit, what the hell is Ranma doing here? Parker asked himself. He became aware that the sergeant was talking to him.  
  
"-eral, can we take out the platoon or not?"  
  
Parker looked over at the sergeant with a shocked look on his face, but he quickly disguised it.  
  
"No, sergeant, I want you and to take him," Parker said, indicating the other Green Beret, "and head back to our relay point. Tell the colonel that I should be there in time to catch the helicopters when they come later tonight."  
  
General Parker's voice held no room for argument and the sergeant nodded, getting to his feet and leading the other soldier away. Once they were out of sight, Parker picked up his rifle and climbed down from the perch they had been positioned on and moved down to the trail the Japanese soldiers had been walking on and began following them. Parker tried to keep his mind off what he would do if he managed to work it so that he was able to corner Ranma and the others.  
  
Through skill born from countless training and actual experience, Phil was able to track Ranma and his platoon all the way back to the 3rd regimental headquarters. Positioning himself so he wouldn't be spotted, Parker observed the camp through the scope of his rifle. He ensured that his finger was safely resting in the trigger guard and began to observe the soldiers.  
  
Ranma had reported into a halftrack that Parker was assuming belonged to the captain of Ranma's platoon. Believing that the meeting would take awhile, Parker roamed through the camp with the help of his scope. Another platoon was preparing to head out on a recon sweep, and Parker toyed with the idea of setting up an ambush. Discarding the idea, as it would be far too risky without any position that he could fall back on, Parker resumed his sweep of the camp.  
  
Spotting some tents, Parker zeroed in on the area as two soldiers emerged. He was about to continue on when he noticed someone else emerging from the tent, someone significantly smaller than the soldiers.  
  
"Good god," Parker breathed as he watched the small girl run across the field and into the halftrack that Ranma had entered. He took his eye from the scope and shook his head. Could he have been seeing things, no, that child was as real as the other men in the camp. But why on earth would a child be with this regiment, was it some kind of disgusting attempt by the Japanese to make the Russian soldiers back down? Parker was so absorbed in his musings that he failed to notice Ranma emerge, carrying the small child, until he was almost halfway across the camp.  
  
Parker observed Ranma as he walked down through the field. He observed Ranma a little too closely, as he didn't notice as a Japanese soldier made his way toward Parker, obviously intending on relieving himself in the bushes. Parker was startled when the soldier blocked his view and he shifted, causes the branches he was hiding in to shift, which did not go unnoticed by the soldier.  
  
"Someone's in the bushes!" the soldier yelled, alerting the camp.  
  
"Shit," Parker cursed as he worked the bolt on the XM25 and fired one round from the twenty round magazine at the soldier.  
  
===============  
  
To say Ranma was startled when the sharp report of the rifle echoed through the camp would have been an understatement. Ranma, who had figured out that he could detect the aura of those around him, had come to depend on that sense to alert him when enemy soldiers were near, so when the private from 3rd platoon shouted out the warning before being struck in the bridge of his nose by the bullet fired by the sniper in the bushes Ranma was taken by surprise and nearly dropped Natalie.  
  
Setting Natalie on the ground Ranma charged off towards the bushes from where the shot came from. He ordered two soldiers to take Natalie and put her in the tent. He swung his rifle from his shoulder and chambered a round and switched to single shot. He was going to show this sniper what it meant to take a life with only one shot.  
  
===============  
  
Sergeant Yoshida had been one of the soldiers Ranma had ordered to take Natalie into the tent, and he had begun to respond to the order when he noticed Natalie was not where Ranma had set her down. Quickly scanning the field, Sergeant Yoshida noticed the small girl running after Lieutenant Saotome.  
  
Jumping to his feet, Yoshida ran after the small girl. The other soldiers of the regiment stared in shock as Ranma raced ahead of them, being followed by the small girl who in turn was being chased by Sergeant Yoshida.  
  
===============  
  
Parker was trying to observe the field of battle when he noticed someone racing towards him. Actually he noticed three people racing towards him, but only one of them seemed intent on actually reaching his position. He trained the scope on the soldier racing forward and fired once.  
  
The shot had been set up quickly, and he had missed his mark, but he got the desired result, the streaking soldier was forced to shift his position and move in a zigzag pattern, effectively eliminating the immediate threat that he had posed.  
  
Switching to his next target, Parker saw the small girl racing across the field and also the soldier chasing after him. Putting his eye to the scope, Parker lined up his sights on the soldier and fired. The shot had been good, and it hit the soldier in the chest, though it looked to have missed his heart. Deciding against firing another round at the soldier, Parker looked to see where the soldier he had fired at before had gone. He was startled to realize that the soldier was gone, and he couldn't hear him either.  
  
Parker collected his equipment and climbed down from his perch and started racing into the foliage as the other Japanese soldiers opened fire. The shots were not being focused in any area, but it was intense enough for Parker to pick up his pace. As he ran past a tree he heard a very audible click. Almost like someone had just readied their gun. Deciding that he shouldn't take the risk, Parker dove forward in a role and spun around, his XM25 held in the crook of his arm as he turned to face the sound.  
  
He nearly dropped his gun when he realized that he was now no more than six feet away from Ranma, who was holding his rifle up to his cheek, his eyes were an icy fury.  
  
"Ranma?" Parker said just as Ranma fired, point blank.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I would like to apologize for the long wait that it took to release this chapter. For those that have read my notes in the previous chapters, it should be obvious why. I am very happy to report that my husband has come through his second war alive and well, earning his fourth purple heart, as well as a few other decorations that were not specified to me by Colonel Hanze. I am proud of him, as well as I am proud of all our soldiers. And I would like to take this moment to express my thanks for what they did, and for what they are continuing to do even as you read this.  
  
For those that are wondering just what the political scene is right now in "Until the End" you're going to find out next chapter, as well as a quick look at how those back in Tokyo are doing. Lieutenant Gogol will be making a return as well, for any that have been wondering about the Russian.  
  
Thank you to everyone that has been reading this, and a special thanks to all those that take the time to review. 


	18. Until the End Chapter 17

Until the End Chapter 17 Impact  
  
Parker could have sworn at that moment that time stopped. When Ranma emerged from the bushes and pointed his rifle at him just as he came out of his role their eyes locked. Ranma's eyes were wild, almost too insane to be human. Without thinking, Parker uttered Ranma's name, just as Ranma pulled the trigger.  
  
The round exited Ranma's gun and zinged Parker on the neck, creating a centimeter deep wound as it passed through Parker's flesh and impacted the tree directly behind Parker's head. Parker, who was so surprised when Ranma fired, fell backwards as his hand, which had been cradling his rifle, came up to the wound on his neck. He let out a yelp of surprise when the pain finally began to register. It didn't hurt; it was just the shock of being shot by Ranma.  
  
For what seemed like an eternity, nothing happened. All Parker could hear was the ragged breath of Ranma, and the clatter of gunfire back in the Japanese camp. Slowly, Parker raised his head to meet Ranma's face.  
  
"P-Phil?" Ranma asked in a shaky voice. His gun fell from his hands and hit the soft earth. Ranma's face was ashen white.  
  
Phil took a moment to register his voice. "How's it going Ranma?" It was an incredibly stupid question, given the circumstances, but it was the best he could come up with.  
  
"W-what are you doing here?" Ranma asked, in the same shaky voice.  
  
Parker cleared his throat. "Me and two other Green Beret's have been shadowing your regiment for about three days. When I finally came up to actually observe your platoon, I noticed it was you and sent the others back and I decided to follow you. I was about to leave when that soldier spotted me."  
  
"You killed him," Ranma said, it was an observation, not an accusation.  
  
"Yes," Parker nodded. "If I hadn't then you would probably be looking at me with my eyes rolled back in my head."  
  
Ranma didn't respond, he simply looked at the ground.  
  
Phil decided that maybe this would be a good time to leave. He got to his feet just as Ranma spoke.  
  
"Phil, w-what should I do?" Ranma asked, his voice pleading.  
  
Parker looked up and saw the helpless expression on Ranma's face. Just five minutes ago Ranma's face held the look of a killer, one hell-bent on taking my life, and he almost did.  
  
When Phil didn't respond Ranma continued. "I don't know what I'm doing here, I-I just want to go home," Ranma said. "S-should I go with you?"  
  
Parker frowned. He wasn't familiar with these types of situations, but then again who would be.  
  
"I think for best," Parker spoke at last, "you should head back to your camp Ranma."  
  
"But I don't want to go back," Ranma said, his voice but a whisper.  
  
Phil looked at Ranma and felt like he was looking at a child. A confused and scared child, one that was in a situation where no man should be and completely unable to handle it. He was about to reply when a crashing noise came from the bushes behind Ranma.  
  
Reacting on instinct, Parker grabbed his XM25 and leveled it at the bushes. He idly checked to make sure Ranma was out of his line of fire and focused on the bush. Just as he decided that whoever it was had gotten close enough, the small child he had seen earlier burst through the foliage with a cry.  
  
Parker dipped his muzzle down, so it pointed at the ground, and stared in shock at the little girl.  
  
The girl looked at both men for a moment before running up to Ranma and grasping onto his leg. Ranma, very naturally given the situation, reached down and hoisted the girl into his arms.  
  
Parker regained his senses and a look of anger crossed his face.  
  
"What the hell is the matter with you Ranma!?" Parker demanded furiously. "How could you bring a child with you into a battle zone? What did you do, steal her from her parents?"  
  
Ranma's eyes grew cold and he regarded Parker with an angry stare.  
  
"If I had not brought Natalie with me than she would have been shot to death by the other troops Phil. Her parents were killed when her village was gunned down by another platoon." " So, is that what you are doing, shooting innocent civilians?" Parker asked angrily.  
  
"It wasn't me!" Ranma protested. "I stopped the other soldiers but I was too late, all of the villagers were dead." Ranma was about to say something else but stopped.  
  
Parker noticed this and motioned for him to continue.  
  
Ranma hesitated but went on. "I know it seems like a stupid thing to do but I couldn't not take her along, after I saw what the other soldiers were doing to the Russian villages I had no choice. It was either I take her along or leave her in the hands of some sick people that would do god only knows what to her."  
  
Parker was about to respond when the sound of voices calling out rolled through the area. It was the soldiers from Ranma's regiment, and they were looking for him.  
  
Parker cursed and picked up his rifle. He checked the area to make sure he hadn't dropped anything and returned his gaze to Ranma.  
  
"Look, if you're worried about the girl's safety then I'll take her. There are a few camps that are taking in Russian civilians that have become homeless because of the war. I'll take her there."  
  
Ranma's face took on a look of uncertainty and he took a step back.  
  
Phil saw this and held out his rifle. Ranma saw what he was getting at, either he leave the child with him now, or Parker would take her from him with force.  
  
When Phil spoke, it was in the voice of the man Ranma had known before this war had started. "If you really care about her safety Ranma, then you'll leave her with me. I can't take you with me yet, and I can't tell you why, but if you were to disappear from your regiment right now without any signs of a struggle than they'll suspect that something's up, and it will make this war go on longer. Just trust me."  
  
Ranma, with tears rimming his eyes, put Natalie on the ground and wiped the tears from his eyes.  
  
"Take good care of her," Ranma said, his voice nothing but a whisper.  
  
Parker, moving quicker than Ranma could interpret, closed the distance between them and enveloped Ranma in a hug. He slapped his back and spoke softly in his ear.  
  
"Were both going to get out of this Ranma, and when it's all done, I'll shake your hand."  
  
Parker released Ranma and picked Natalie up into his well-muscled arms, ignoring the girl's protests. He grabbed his XM25 in his other arm and turned around, running deeper into the forest without looking back.  
  
Ranma, who had watched Phil disappear into the trees, fell to his knees and began to cry.  
  
===============  
  
"You know, I really think we should quit while were ahead," Akari said as she looked down at the floor plans for the Imperial Palace.  
  
"Yes," Akane said, "that would probably be a good idea except that we haven't exactly gotten ahead so we really can't use your suggestion."  
  
Akari glared at Akane for a second. "What I meant, Akane, is that our first expedition was anything but a colossal success, and now that we've determined that the Prime Minister is of anything but a sound mind, I have to ask if it is still a good idea for us to be doing this."  
  
Kimura cleared his throat to get the attention of Akane and Akari, who were trading glares from either side of the table. "Ladies please, the last thing we need right now is to have a fight begin amongst ourselves. To answer your inquiry Akari, yes, we are all aware that our raid on the Information Minister's offices was not a resounding success, and yes, we are all well aware that the Prime Minister is appearing to be chemically imbalanced. But when we first started this organization we were all clear on the thought that no matter what happened, we were going to everything we could to end this unjust war. Right now we all have a decision to make, we can either decide that we've done what we can, or we can make one last stab at this."  
  
A silence filled the room, and Akari and Akane looked uncomfortably at the table.  
  
Kimura continued. "While we are not going to be able to actually publish the documents we found in the Information Ministry, that does not mean that we have no other options. So far, the Japanese government has failed to produce any sufficient evidence in the matter of the Emperor's death. Ishii and I have come to the conclusion that while we cannot publish unofficial documents on the matter, what we can do is maybe give the police a helping hand."  
  
Akane considered Kimura's words for a moment before replying. "But Kimura, were civilians, the police are not going to just accept our help. Whatever evidence we may discover will be thrown out of any court situation that may come to pass."  
  
Kimura nodded his head. "True, but that would only happen if we did not have the police on our sides."  
  
Everyone looked at Kimura in confusion but he simply smiled and got to his feet. He slid open the shoji doors and motioned for someone no one could see to enter.  
  
"Everyone, I would like to introduce Inspector Fujita, head inspector of the Tokyo police department."  
  
Inspector Fujita bowed low, and Akane and Akari quickly got to their feet to return his bow.  
  
"To answer what many of you are probably thinking, I will first explain that we have the entire east side of the Tokyo police on our side."  
  
Akane and Akari motioned for Inspector Fujita to sit and Akane handed him a cup full of tea. Fujita nodded his thanks and took a sip.  
  
Fujita turned his body and looked at Ishii. "Inafune, I would ask you if you have explained to the other members of your group about the measures that the government has taken to disrupt the investigation into the assassination of the Emperor."  
  
Ishii shook his head in the negative. "No, I wasn't sure if that info would prove useful later on and I didn't want anybody to go blab it out to the press. But seeing as it's just those two," he said indicating Akane and Akari, "I felt it would be alright to have you over."  
  
Inspector Fujita nodded, and turned back to Akane and Akari. "From day one of our investigation the government has inserted itself in all of our activities. We have had evidence taken from us. Three weeks after the Emperor's death, we were on the tail of a suspected government worker that had called the apartment of the man that we suspect to have been behind the assassination, but just as we were about to close in, two government officials from the Defense Department informed us that the man in question was under protection from the government and he would be exempt from all court dealings if we attempted to try him. This of course angered and frustrated us to no ends. We were at the end of our rope when I encountered Secretary Kimura, and he was able to tip me off to what the government was actually doing."  
  
Kimura picked up the conversation. "Once it became clear to me that Shizuko's government was doing all it could to stop the actual investigation, I decided that it would be best to give the police department a helping hand. From here on in, I would like to remind everyone here that what we are about to talk about is not to go outside this room. If any of the other people in this little resistance group were to hear about this, they may decide to tip off the government in return for any kind of monetary value. Not everyone that has joined our cause is actually true of heart."  
  
The others nodded.  
  
"Okay, now that that's out of the way, I want to get right down to business," Kimura said. He reached forward and grabbed the map layout for the Imperial grounds. "I suppose it may seem odd that I have brought these to your attention, but, if were going to be able to do this like a police department, were going to have start at the beginning."  
  
He looked up from the floor plans and smiled.  
  
"This is going to take awhile."  
  
===============  
  
"So what's up with the kid?"  
  
Parker turned his head and looked at the Green Beret sergeant that he had sent back to the base before encountering Ranma.  
  
"If you don't want me to rip those stripes from your shoulders than I think it would be best if you addressed me in the proper way," Parker said, turning his back to the soldier.  
  
The sergeant, who had come to the conclusion that the general was one hundred percent fucking serious about ripping off his sergeant's stripes, quickly amended his tone.  
  
"No insult intended sir."  
  
"That's a little better," Parker replied. He made it a point to not recognize the soldier's presence and instead picked up the small girl and carried her off to his barrack. Once inside, he removed his gun belt and web pack, dropping them in the corner of the barrack and walked over to his bed, where he set the girl down. Not caring where it landed, Parker ripped the temporary dressing that he had placed over the wound Ranma gave him and tossed it. He reached over to his bedside table and removed another package. He applied some antiseptic to the wound and pushed the dressing over the wound, his mind registering the pain but Parker did nothing else.  
  
Over and over again Parker watched in his mind as Ranma emerged from the trees and fired. The murderous look in his eyes coupled with the absolute deadly accuracy that he had commanded had scared Parker more than anything he could have ever imagined. Another image appeared in his mind, and this time it was of Ranma again, but he now sported a look of helplessness as he pleaded for Parker to take him away from the hell he was in.  
  
I should have taken him, Parker told himself. Even though he knew it would have created far more problems than it would have solved, Parker allowed himself to dwell on the fact.  
  
Feeling very tired, Parker sat himself down onto his bed. Hearing a soft yelp from his side brought his attention to the young girl, who had been bumped in the air when Parker thumped down on the couch.  
  
"What is your name?" Parker asked. When the girl didn't reply, he repeated the question, but in Russian.  
  
The girl inched her way away from Parker before sitting back and glaring at him.  
  
"Natalie," Parker said. "That is what Ranma called you, is that your real name?"  
  
She nodded her head curtly.  
  
"I want you to know that Ranma agreed to me taking care of you, otherwise he would have objected when I took you."  
  
Natalie looked as if she would cry and Parker reached over. She flinched away from his hand, but ended up nearly toppling over the edge of the bed. Parker caught her and brought her beside him.  
  
"Listen girl," Parker said softly. "You may not like me, but I need you to know that whatever happens I will make sure you see Ranma again."  
  
Natalie looked up at Parker and tears spilled down her cheeks.  
  
"Do you mean it?"  
  
Parker didn't respond, he instead picked her up and cradled her in his lap.  
  
===============  
  
The Chinese Premier, Ma Zhisheng, waited impatiently for his military chief of staff to finish his coffee.  
  
"General, I would prefer to get this out of the way before I lose my patience," Premier Zhisheng said as he allowed his fingers to drum on his desk.  
  
The Secretary of the Army looked over his coffee at the Premier and smiled.  
  
"So," Zhisheng began, "how are our forces faring?"  
  
SECARMY paused in thought and took a moment to frame his reply.  
  
"We are continuing to push north towards Alden, and it should be possible to capture the city before Russian forces have any chance to formulate a defense of the city."  
  
"That's good," Zhisheng said, and then leaned forward on his desk to stare intently at the general. "And what of these rumors that American forces have been conducting raids on Japanese and Chinese camps?"  
  
The general looked uncomfortable and shifted in his seat. "It has yet to be confirmed yet, but it would seem that American Special Forces groups have been conducting operations against our forces and the Japanese. They are from a Special Forces group called "Green Berets". The name is given for the French beret that soldiers and officers in that group wear. It has been confirmed that some Navy aircraft have been flying sorties over Siberia."  
  
"And how has this affected our advancement into Siberia?" Zhisheng asked after a moment.  
  
"So far we have been forced to leave several occupied cities and villages, and it seems that some regiments have run away, throwing down their weapons. But I don't attribute that to the fact that American troops are inside Siberia. From what I have discerned, it would have happened inevitably, with or without American involvement."  
  
Zhisheng leaned back into his chair and looked at the general. "So what you're saying is that the Americans are not doing significant damage to change the course of our advancement into Siberia?"  
  
"Yes," the general answered.  
  
Zhisheng reached up and pushed his hair away from his forehead, allowing a long twisted scar to come into view.  
  
"Do you know where I received this scar general?"  
  
The Secretary of the Army shook his head in the negative.  
  
"Four years ago, on the last night of the Pacific War, I was walking to my car. An emergency meeting of the Politburo had been called. I was about to get in my car and drive to the meeting, my driver had been asleep, when the first bomb dropped, hitting my house and sending shrapnel twisting through the air. The concussion knocked me to the ground, which allowed me to miss the first piece of shrapnel by a centimeter, but then the second bomb dropped and I was struck eighteen times. I was on the operating table for thirteen hours. I still have trouble walking, and I have lost seventy two percent usage of my left arm. I survived that attack."  
  
"But the other members of the Politburo weren't as lucky. Every other member was killed except for Jingshu, but he was later imprisoned for government corruption." Zhisheng stared at the general. "The scars that adorn my body are a constant reminder of what the Americans are capable of when they become seriously angered. Taking the Americans lightly was what resulted in our country being permanently removed from Taiwan and having Hong Kong's billions of dollars of revenue removed from us."  
  
The general was stunned, and he didn't reply to the Premier.  
  
"So you see," Zhisheng went on, "that is the reason why I am now passing a directive to all of our troops in Siberia. For every American soldier killed, their paycheck will double. If they manage to bring me back a prisoner, than their paycheck will triple."  
  
"Sir are you sure that is wise, I mean, if the press gets wind of this they will announce that the Americans have joined the fight against our country and Japan," the general said.  
  
"I will handle the press," Zhisheng answered coldly. "All I want from you is to hear 'yes sir'."  
  
"Yes sir," the Secretary of the Army said quietly before rising to his feet and walking out of the Premier's office.  
  
===============  
  
Second Lieutenant Gogol watched silently as the American general walked out of his cabin with a small child in tow. While this was a most peculiar sight, Gogol made sure the general did not see him looking. Lieutenant Gogol was about to leave the mess hall when a hand clamped down on his shoulder, startling him. He turned and saw the sergeant from his platoon looking at the American general as he entered the mess hall.  
  
"There have been two very different stories circulating about how the general came into possession of that girl. The first, and the widely believed rumor, is that the general has been taking tours of Russian villages with the Green Berets and pillaging them."  
  
"I am quite certain that such thoughts are incorrect sergeant," Gogol said.  
  
"Yes sir," the sergeant said. "And that is why I find the other story far more believable. It seems that the general ran into a Japanese platoon the other day and he followed them back to their camp. He ended up killing some of the soldiers and he stole the girl from them in the ensuing confusion. While I hardly think that he stole the girl, I do find this story to be more believable."  
  
"And why are you telling me this?" Gogol asked carefully. The last thing he wanted was to get into a dispute over which ridiculous rumor was true.  
  
"General Parker likes you, and if he were to tell anyone what actually happened than he would be likely to tell you."  
  
"What makes you think I would even care why he has that child?" Gogol asked a little too loudly. Several heads turned at the table nearest to the door.  
  
The sergeant looked in irritation at Gogol for speaking so loudly. "I wasn't suggesting you demand an answer lieutenant, I merely thought that maybe once the truth gets around the ranks, and there'll be a lot less gossip. The troops remind me of a bunch of old women sitting around the steps of an apartment complex."  
  
Gogol looked at his NCO for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and walking back into the mess hall and towards the table occupied by General Parker and the small Russian girl. As Gogol approached, he saw that the general was showing the girl what the inside of an MRE (meal-ready to eat) looked like. The child looked a little disgusted and asked the general if he had to eat that all the time. The general responded with a laugh that he only ate those if the leaves on the tree next to him were too high to reach.  
  
Almost seeming to sense Gogol's presence, General Parker turned around in his seat and looked at him.  
  
"Good afternoon general," Gogol said by way of greeting.  
  
"Afternoon lieutenant," Parker replied. He nudged the girl beside him and she smiled and repeated Parker's words. Parker smiled at her and gazed up at Gogol. "Something I can help you with lieutenant?"  
  
"I was wondering if I could perhaps speak with the general alone sir, it's about a matter that I feel needs to be discussed," Gogol said, trying to keep his face relaxed, and to not allow his nervousness to show.  
  
General Parker regarded him for a moment before smiling. He looked down at the child and asked her if she would be alright to eat on her own for a few minutes.  
  
Once they were outside the mess hall Parker motioned for Gogol to walk with him.  
  
"I take it that the matter you wish to discuss is my bringing the child back with me when I was out on my own the other day," Parker said.  
  
"Was I that obvious?" Gogol asked lightly.  
  
Parker looked at him, a smile on his face. "No, but I know that the subject has been on the mind's of every officer and enlisted man in this base. I am sure that based on our relationship people have been assuming that you know."  
  
"Yes," Gogol replied. "I finally decided that maybe if I learned the truth it would be possible for me to end this gossiping. It is unbecoming of soldiers to act in such a manner."  
  
Parker smiled again. "I want you to know that I greatly respect you as a soldier lieutenant, and I would hope that you feel the same about me. But even if you don't I want to tell you exactly what happened when I followed the Japanese platoon."  
  
Gogol tried to conceal his surprise but failed.  
  
"Why don't we head over to my barrack, I asked the colonel if he could watch Natalie while we speak."  
  
===============  
  
Sergeant Yoshida had been lucky. The bullet that hit him missed his heart by only a few inches, but the damage had been done. When the bullet first entered his chest, it hit his rib cage, and smashed through the bone, leaving bane fragments and pieces of the bullet in his body. He had been on the operating table for almost four hours now.  
  
When Ranma finally returned to the camp, that was where he found Yoshida. He realized that it was Phil that had shot his NCO in the chest, and wondered why he was neither enraged nor angry at his friend.  
  
The surgeon told him, in a very direct manner, that he would have to wait to see his sergeant. Ranma decided that it would be best to just sit outside the halftrack that they were using as an operating room. It was another two hours before the surgeon had been able to remove all the debris in Sergeant Yoshida's body, and when the surgeon came out to tell Ranma, he found him sleeping sitting upright against the halftrack. He lightly touched Ranma's shoulder and told him he could go see Yoshida now.  
  
The halftrack smelled thickly of blood and vomit. The surgeon told Ranma that a couple of the attendants had weak stomachs, and ended up spilling their dinners on the floor of the halftrack once he started to remove bone fragments from the sergeant's chest.  
  
Sergeant Yoshida was flat on his back, a tube sticking into his chest that looked like it was sucking blood out of it, and another tube was stuck lower and it was putting blood into his body. Ranma felt a pang of anger at that moment, but surprisingly it was directed at himself, and not at Phil.  
  
He never should have just dropped Natalie down. If he had just handed her to Yoshida than they would both still be here.  
  
Ranma removed his helmet and set it down on the floor, he then sat on it. They did not have a respirator with them so Yoshida was breathing on his own, though it sounded as if every breath sent pain throughout his body. The surgeon had told him that it would be touch and go for awhile, at least until they could airlift Yoshida out of here and get him to a real hospital.  
  
The surgeon had said something else, something that had shocked Ranma. A directive had been sent down by the CO just before the regiments split to go to their assigned locations in Siberia. All morphine was to be saved for those that were dying. For the soldiers that were going to live, they would have to go without.  
  
That of course meant that Yoshida was feeling every bit of the pain that was coursing through his body. Ranma was surprised that the man was asleep.  
  
After an hour or so Ranma began to tire, and he laid his head down on the bed, trying to get some rest.  
  
He woke with a start, an hour or so later, and was surprised to see that he was looking into the eyes of Kenji Yoshida. The sergeant seemed to be slightly dazed, as if he didn't have a complete control over his own body. Ranma wasn't surprised, out of all the other medications Yoshida received, he was probably drugged up pretty well.  
  
"How long have you been awake?" Ranma asked, leaning back from the bed.  
  
"I'm not sure," Yoshida responded. His voice was constricted, almost as if he was having trouble forming his words.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
Yoshida looked down at his chest for a moment before shrugging, which caused the tubes that were in his chest to stretch, which in turn sent a large tendril of pain lancing through his body. He cried out, and coughed as blood dripped down his mouth.  
  
Fuck the directive, Ranma told himself as he got to his feet and searched the supplies until he came across the bottle of morphine. He filled a needle to the appropriate point and injected Yoshida with it. It took a few minutes, but Yoshida finally looked to be at ease.  
  
"Ranma?" Yoshida asked which startled Ranma. Yoshida had never called him by his first name; it was either 'lieutenant' or 'sir'.  
  
"Yeah?" Ranma responded.  
  
"Is Natalie alright?" he asked suddenly.  
  
Luckily for Ranma, Yoshida failed to notice the sudden twitch that hit his body when the question was asked. Could he possibly tell Yoshida the truth, he was going to find out eventually anyway.  
  
Ranma looked at Yoshida's face and saw that his NCO looked like he would throw up if he found out something happened.  
  
"She's just fine Kenji, she's okay."  
  
"Good," Yoshida said with content as he let his eyelids slowly drop.  
  
"We'll all be alright," Ranma said, looking down at the ground, his voice quiet.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Ohhh, two reviews on the last chapter. Was it really that bad? I hope you like this one better.  
  
On an unrelated note, I want to express the thanks of my husband who, while serving in Iraq, found your nice reviews a good boost of spirit. Okay, maybe that wasn't too unrelated. 


	19. Until the End Chapter 18

Until the End Chapter 18 Fight  
  
"Watch where you put those claymores," General Parker told the young Russian soldier as he placed a claymore mine into the ground. "If they're too close then one will end up setting all the others off."  
  
The soldier nodded and began to cover up the mine.  
  
Parker stood back and observed as the countless number of soldiers worked at laying traps for the advancing Chinese and Japanese. It had been nearly a week since Parker had last seen Ranma, and he was trying his best to put the thought from his mind.  
  
The Russian and American forces were now only fifty kilometers outside of Alden, and the need to stop the advancing forces now took precedence over any other operation. Parker grimly watched as the men continued to work. The latest numbers told him that they would be outnumbered at least three to one, at least in the number of ground forces. The Air Force had finally gotten off their asses and sent them some fighters and bombers, which Parker hoped would be enough to keep the pressure from the air off of the ground troops.  
  
It was going to be another seven hours before the invasion force reached them, and Parker prayed that it would be enough time to prepare. The battle was surely to be fierce, and he could not clearly see what the outcome would be, but if things ended up going bad for them, he would give the order to retreat. If it meant Alden fell, than so be it.  
  
===============  
  
"Are you sure this is wise sergeant?" Lieutenant Saotome asked Sergeant Yoshida as the man struggled into his gear.  
  
"I don't much care sir," Yoshida replied. "If you think that I'm simply going to sit back while we engage the enemy then you've got a few screws loose. I will be fighting with the troops, and if it comes to pass than I will die with the troops."  
  
Ranma chose not to reply, instead securing his own equipment. Yoshida had finally been given the ok by the regiment surgeon to move join his platoon on recon, and Yoshida had jumped at the chance. Ranma knew that other members of the regiment had let it leek that Natalie had been taken by the soldiers that had attacked the base the other day, and Yoshida was in a state of self-loathing because of it.  
  
He's ready to die, Ranma thought to himself. The problem with that is there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it right now. Were about to storm the Russian defenses and it's entirely likely that Yoshida will get his wish, and some lucky Russian will put him out of his misery.  
  
As he finished tying his web pack, Ranma put his arm around Yoshida's shoulders. "Remember what I told you in the halftrack Kenji, we will all be alright."  
  
===============  
  
"You would think that with the Americans help we wouldn't need to do this anymore," a private said as he peered at the Chinese tank battalion through binoculars.  
  
"And how is that private?" Lieutenant Gogol asked.  
  
"Well, they brought some of their planes right, so couldn't they just do aerial reconnaissance instead of us doing this?" the private asked.  
  
"Tell me this private," Gogol began, "If the Chinese and Japanese had constant air pressure over them wouldn't that give away whatever surprises we hope to have in store for them when they arrive at Alden."  
  
"I suppose sir," the private replied, his face flushed in embarrassment.  
  
"Keep yourselves hidden," Lieutenant Gogol reminded his platoon. "If anyone spots us I can guarantee that we will end up missing out on the fight in Alden and not because we were taken prisoner."  
  
===============  
  
"I thought we agreed that the next time we did this I wouldn't be a stepladder," Akane said as she shifted her feet underneath the weight of Ishii who was trying to reach the top of the outside walls of the imperial palace.  
  
Ishii stopped his efforts and looked down at Akane. "Did we? I could have sworn that I forgot to reply to that."  
  
"Goddamn you Ishii," Akane said, just loud enough for him to hear it.  
  
"That a girl," Ishii said laughing quietly. "Success!" he exclaimed as he pried open the window. He looked down at Akane again. "You know, I think that the skills the Yakuza taught me are finally coming in handy. If all the burglar alarms are like this in the city, than I just may have a new career on my hands."  
  
As Ishii crawled through the open window Akane massaged her shoulders. He reappeared in the window and hoisted Akane up and through it.  
  
"Were lucky we have Fujita on our team, otherwise we'd have to worry about police interference if we get caught by the guards," Ishii said as he took a quick look around.  
  
"If we don't have to worry about the police than why are we breaking into this place instead of just waltzing in the front door?" Akane asked in irritation.  
  
"We don't have that much influence on our side Akane," Ishii said. "We may not have to worry about the police but if any bit of Shizuko's government gets word of what were doing you can bet that we'll spend a fair deal of time in prison."  
  
Akane didn't respond and instead moved off down the expansive hallways.  
  
"Do you even know where you're going?" Ishii called after her as he moved to catch up.  
  
"I'm not to sure about you, but I at least took some time examining the police files on this place," Akane shot back over her shoulder.  
  
*Could you two please cut out that fighting, I'm starting to get a headache,* Akari groused over the radio.  
  
"Sorry Akari," Ishii said softly into his headset. "Are you in position?"  
  
*Yes,* Akari answered. *I've got a good view of the front of the building, and if the police reports are to be believed than this should be the area that the shooter was standing when the Emperor was assassinated.*  
  
"Alright," Ishii replied. "If Akane really does know where were going than we should be coming into view in a couple of minutes."  
  
===============  
  
"Okay," Akari replied as she shivered on top of the building. The cold wind cut straight through her clothes from her position and she was beginning to get a little dizzy from the sheer height. She spared a glance over the edge again, and watched the steady night traffic as it went by.  
  
There was a feeling of disbelief in Akari's mind as she knelt down by the edge of the building and watched the imperial palace from over a couple hundred yards away. If the police had gotten it right, than she was actually standing in the spot where a sniper had shot the Emperor almost five months ago.  
  
She raised her pair of binoculars to her eyes and watched the palace waiting for Akane and Ishii to appear. She felt uneasy about only having the three of them and Kimura in on the operation, and that fear was only heightened when she had been assigned the job of going all the way up to the building on her own, in the dead of night.  
  
Akari had just spotted Ishii and Akane when she heard the door that allowed people access to the roof open. She spun around and saw, through the darkness; two figures emerge from the door and begin to move across the roof.  
  
"Oh no," she said to herself, quickly throwing a glance back at the Imperial Palace. She dropped the binoculars to the ground and got to her feet, but keeping herself low. Akari moved across the roof towards the far end, away from the direction the two figures were moving. Slowly she moved out towards the door the two men, she had heard them talking, had exited, hoping that she could reach it before they noticed her. She was just at the door when her radio began to speak.  
  
*Akari? Are you there?* Ishii asked over the radio.  
  
Realizing that she had left the volume high, Akari threw herself to the side of the door, hoping that the two men wouldn't see her.  
  
They may not have seen her, but they definitely heard the radio. One of the men barked out a quick order in English, which Akari recognized but could not hear clearly. Akari risked a quick look around the corner and saw one of the men start for the door, but not before removing a handgun from his jacket.  
  
A cold chill ran through her. These men were obviously not up here for a casual stroll. She grabbed her radio and spoke quickly and quietly into it.  
  
"I'm busy, get out of the palace as soon as possible." She switched her radio off and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. She glanced one more time around the corner and saw that the man was now fifteen feet away from her. She edged away from the corner, which in turn caused her feet to grind against the roof. That would have not been a problem, if it were not for the fact that the landlord had been worried that with the large snowfall that hit Tokyo that winter ice may form and someone could slip, and had poured gravel over the roof, which Akari's foot in turn grinded against, creating a scraping noise that easily reached the ear's of the approaching man.  
  
"Who's there!?" the man barked out in broken Japanese.  
  
Akari chose not to answer him, and stepped back again, this time watching where she put her foot. Taking a quick survey of her options, the nearest building was at least twenty feet away; a feat Akari may have been able to do if she had a running start, which she would not have been able to accomplish. The other option, running out and hoping to knock the man down sounded equally unappealing, so, for the first time in her life, Akari decided to think like a martial artist.  
  
Akari had not simply spent the last four years of her life going to business school and raising her son, she had become Ranma Saotome's second student, his first being Akane.  
  
Looking up, Akari grasped the edge of the tower and swung her self on top of it, just as the man walked around the door. He was startled when he saw no one there, but he was even more startled when Akari swung back down from the tower and kicked him square in the face while her other leg knocked the gun from his hand.  
  
The man was catapulted backwards, and Akari landed badly, misjudging where her feet would hit the ground, and stumbled, but kept her feet. The man hit the ground hard, and he hit the edge of the roof, the gun landed somewhere near the center of the roof.  
  
Akari turned to make a break for the door, but she was hit from behind, hard. As she hit the roof hard, Akari cursed herself for forgetting about the other man, and quickly got to her feet. She had a second to react before the other man shoulder-charged her, and sent her sprawling to the ground. She lost her breath and couldn't get up.  
  
The other man called out for his partner, but he wasn't answered. As he went in search for him Akari slowly regained her breath. Her arm was throbbing, and when she looked she noticed that she had received a cut on her arm, probably from all the gravel. Her foot nudged something, and when she looked down she noticed she had landed right next to the gun she had knocked out of the other man's hands. She scooped it up and started for the door, but not before the other man noticed her. He shouted for her to stop and when she started to run for the door he pulled out his handgun and fired.  
  
For the first time that night, the gravel that had been so thoughtfully laid out on the roof worked in her favor. She slipped near the door, just as the round fired from the gun hit the patchwork of the door, right where her head would have passed. The fear of being shot at quickly galvanized Akari into action and she leapt back up to her feet, and held the gun she had retrieved at arms length, pointing at the other man.  
  
"Put the gun down!" Akari screamed in English. The man didn't move, instead his eyes were fastened on something behind Akari. She reacted too late, as the man she had previously disposed of knocked her feet out from under her. In her shock she let out a shout and the gun fell from her hand. The other man limped over to the gun and retrieved it.  
  
"What do we do with her?" one of them asked.  
  
"Push her over the edge, we were told that no one was to be allowed to escape, and too many questions would be asked if we had to carry her out of here," the other man replied.  
  
Akari's stomach clenched painfully and she tried her best to keep herself from vomiting. Her whole body ached, and it seemed that she might have separated her shoulder. But when she felt two pairs of arms begin to wrap themselves around her, she reacted.  
  
As one of the men wrapped his arms around her and took the time to let his hand wander across her chest, Akari placed her hands on the roof and used them to flip herself up and over the man. In the process of lifting her entire body, she lashed out with a foot and kicked the man at the lower end of her body in the face. She continued the flip until she felt her feet touch the ground and turned to face the other man. He was already reaching into his waistband for his gun.  
  
He had just pulled it free when Akari's fist planted itself into his face. He felt the bones in his nose separate, and then begin to crush themselves together. He let out a scream, but that was silenced when Akari lashed out again, and hit the man in the throat, easily bruising his larynx. The man was still trying to get his handgun around to face her when she punched his in the side, purposely targeting his ribs. She felt them shift underneath her assault, and it pleased her. Finally Akari swung around, unleashing a snap kick that connected with the man's face, her heel hitting his temple, and he was sent flying.  
  
Akari watched, fascinated, as his body hit the roof and then began to roll until it finally came to a stop and he ceased to move. She was startled when she felt someone moving behind her. She quickly spun around and saw the other man was aiming his gun at her; his finger was outside the trigger guard. Thinking quickly, Akari shifted her stance and got low to the ground. She used a perfectly executed sweep kick that tripped the man, and knocked his feet out from under him. As he was falling, Akari continued with her spin and when she came around to face him she hit him square in the chest with a double-fisted punch that propelled him backwards.  
  
Thinking that he would simply hit the tower and knock himself unconscious, Akari allowed herself to close her eyes and try to catch her breath. When she heard someone unleash a blood curdling scream, she snapped her eyes open, thinking that the man was still conscious, but she couldn't see him. Realization struck her and she rushed to the edge of the building and watched as the man she had disposed of struck the pavement below, and bounced once before laying deathly still. She turned away from the scene and vomited, her entire body giving out and she collapsed on the roof.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I am once again guilty of waiting too long to write this chapter. And sadly, I do not even have a worthy excuse to belay upon you, my faithful readers about why it has taken me so long to produce another chapter. I beseech you, my readers, to forgive me, and wait for the next chapter, which I promise will not take this long to come out. I will leave you with the thought that the next chapter will definitely be the longest one in this story so far. 


	20. Until the End Chaper 19

Until the End  
Chapter 19  
Fall Back  
  
"As Chinese and Japanese forces push further into Siberia they are met with little resistance. After the first battle near the border between Russia and China, no heavy battles have taken place, and while Russian officers tell us that they are doing everything they can, one has to wonder, is the government in Moscow simply going to let Siberia fall into the enemy's hands?" Kyle McCormick, a CNN reporter said to the camera located just thirty miles outside of Alden.  
  
"Many Russian soldiers that I've talked to have been asking why America has not put forth more of an effort to help them. The soldiers all understand that America has greater concerns in the Middle East at the moment, they don't think that the meager help that America has supplied to be sufficient enough."  
  
"But other than that, moral is quite high with the Russian soldiers-" McCormick was cut off as Akane threw the remote aside and laid Akari down on the couch.  
  
"What the hell happened to her?" Akane asked as she removed Akari's blood and vomit-covered blouse.  
  
"I don't know, but it might have to do with all those DMG (defense ministry guard) guys that showed up at the palace," Ishii replied, he paused a bit before going on. "And why we found that guy with his head smashed in on the front of the building."  
  
Akane blanched. She herself had seen the man with the crushed skull, and she was quite sure it would ruin her appetite for quite awhile. "Your not actually suggesting that Akari did that are you?"  
  
Ishii shrugged. "Unless you have a different opinion, than yes. I almost forgot that Ranma has been training her in Anything Goes all this time. But seeing those guys beaten to death was quite enough to jog my memory."  
  
"Are you sure that other guy was dead?" Akane asked. "I think I saw him move around a bit when we got Akari."  
  
"It may sound crude but I'm hoping that he was," Ishii said. "If he saw Akari's face than were going to be in deep trouble, especially is he can recognize her. Were not going up against the Yakuza this time Akane, were taking on the entire Japanese government, they can take us down without as much as a blink."  
  
Akane was about to reply but Akari began to stir.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Akane asked as she placed a moist washcloth on her head.  
  
"Like I got hit by a truck," Akari replied and tried to sit up. The movement immediately grated her damaged ribs and she cried out in pain. Akane and Ishii tried to steady her.  
  
"Oh god, oh god," Akari moaned.  
  
"What's wrong?" Akane asked worriedly.  
  
Tears formed in her eyes, "I killed him, I knocked him off the roof, oh god!" Akari wailed.  
  
Akane hugged Akari as best she could without knocking her side. Ishii frowned for a moment before trudging off to the kitchen, and returning with a mug of tea and two pills.  
  
"Here," Ishii said, lightly prying Akane away from Akari. "Take these Akari."  
  
Akari painfully sat up and took the tea and pills. She swallowed them before lying back down and continuing to whimper.  
  
"Were going to need to get you out of these clothes Akari, and it'll be easier if I help Akane, do you mind?"  
  
Akari shook her head side to side before her eyelids closed and she seemed to drift to sleep.  
  
"What did you give her?" Akane asked. She unbuttoned Akari's jeans and began to work them off of her, with some help from Ishii.  
  
"Some barbiturates, they should keep her out long enough to wrap her rips, it looks like she took a couple of shots there," Ishii replied, pulling her jeans free, he folded them up and set them on the nearby table. "Alright, let's move her into her room."  
  
With Akane guiding him, Ishii carried Akari into her bedroom and lightly set her on the bed, Akari's only response was a mumbled sound of content.  
  
"Do you think that you could wrap her ribs on your own?" Ishii asked as he checked his wristwatch.  
  
"Yeah," Akane responded. "Why? Where are you going?"  
  
"I need to go visit Kimura for now; it seems like those DMG guys knew exactly where we were. My guess is someone tipped them off, which could mean we've got big trouble coming our way soon."  
  
Ishii left the room without another word and in a few moments Akane heard the engine of his car start and him pulling out of the driveway. Without another thought, Akane went in search of some bandages to wrap Akari's ribs. She had just about left her room when something caught her eye, a picture that was sitting on Akari's vanity mirror. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to let the search for the bandages wait for moment, Akane approached the vanity and picked up the picture.  
  
The picture contained the four of them, Ranma, Ryoga, Akari and herself. Ranma and Ryoga each had an arm around the other's shoulder and were laughing, Akane and Akari were shaking their heads slightly at the display of their respective boyfriends.  
  
It took Akane a moment to place where the picture had been taken. It was about four and a half years ago, maybe a month before Ranma and Ryoga went with Ishii to try and get Seiji's body back from the Chinese government. That was of course the last time any of them were able to pose for a photograph ever again. Ryoga was shortly thereafter captured by the Chinese with Ranma and he was taken away and reportedly shot when Phil's tank battalion went to rescue them. Of course, with what Akane and the other's knew know, Ryoga might not be dead.  
  
Akane stopped herself from sobbing; crying wasn't going to help anything. She took a last look at the photograph and set it down and went in search for the bandages. Before she left the room she glanced back at Akari, clad in only her bra and panties. How was it possible that Akari could look at that photograph every day? Maybe she was afraid that she would forget what Ryoga looked like. Akane had heard enough stories of couples that lost a loved one would forget what that person looked like. She herself was unable to remember what her mother looked like.  
  
Akane shook her head softly and continued her search for the bandages.  
  
===============  
  
Parker looked up at the afternoon sky. It was a nice cool minus seventeen degrees Celsius, an average temperature for mid-March. He snorted, in all truth he was freezing his ass off out here, and it was entirely likely that he was going to get frostbite. The thick fatigues he was wearing didn't do much to stop the biting wind that tore through the trees every few seconds.  
  
His grip on his rifle was tight. The reports he had been receiving for the past few hours did not bode well for them. The Chinese and Japanese were moving at a rate consistent enough to allow them to reach the Russian- American positions by nightfall. This news, coupled with the report that the Air Force planes had been redirected to attack a few locations inside China, was enough to make Parker consider the option that he was going to lose his first battle today. The notion made his stomach churn, but he allowed himself to dwell on the fact. Right now the Russians had about 120 000 troops, and there were 250 American Green Beret's. If the reports from the scouts could be believed, the Chinese alone had 150 000 troops. They were at a serious disadvantage, especially because the Chinese still had control over the skies. A report from the Chief of Staff the other day told him that the Russians were setting up SAM sites around Alden. This would be a great help later in the war, if the Chinese broke through their defenses and ended up moving on toward Alden. Parker had asked for some Patriot missile batteries to be diverted to Siberia, but he had received no word on the matter. Parker was quite sure that the reason he was not going to receive the missiles was for political bullshit.  
  
His brooding thoughts were interrupted when General Petrov came trudging through the thick foliage. Parker turned to regard the man when approached.  
  
"How are you this fine cold frigid afternoon?" Parker asked with a smile.  
  
General Petrov laughed. "Believe me General, I am in quite the same frame of mind as yourself. But for right now I was hoping to discuss how you think we should go about spreading out the troops. I have already got most of them organized for the initial defense, but I was hoping to get some advice on where to place the tanks and flanking troops."  
  
Parker stopped and considered his options for a minute. Making a quick decision was surely going to let the Chinese roll right over them. A thought struck him just as he was contemplating this.  
  
"General, have we received any information if the Chinese and Japanese are actually fighting alongside one another, or if they are kind of going separately, with the Chinese dictating their movements?" Parker asked the Russian General.  
  
"From all reports I've received, it would seem that they are separately moving along. From what the scouts have been reporting, just a few hours ago the Chinese moved all Japanese forces except for a few units over onto the left flank. They aren't going to be fighting along side one another if that's what your wondering."  
  
"So it would be plausible to think that we could separate the two forces?" Parker asked. General Petrov looked as if he was about to shout 'Eureka!' "I think I know where you should put your troops general."  
  
===============  
  
"So after General Petrov informed me that the Japanese were not going to be fighting with the Chinese, I came up with this plan," Parker informed Lieutenant Gogol as he stood with Gogol on an outlook that let them get a good view of where the battle would take place.  
  
"And you think it will be enough to stop them from forcing their way into the Alden?" Gogol asked as he looked down at a Russian tank battalion move across the stretch of trees.  
  
"It should," Parker said. "I informed General Petrov that he should move at least two thirds of his ground troops and a half of the armor units over to meet the Japanese head on. Instead of putting the infantry out front were going to show them our tanks and see just how many of them feel like making a charge. Once we have their attention, we'll hit them with everything we've got. Once the Japanese are taken care of, the soldiers remaining will move in an arch and meet the Chinese from behind. We box them in and wear them down from there."  
  
"It is quite a gamble," Gogol observed. "But, I think it'll work."  
  
"Glad to have your support," Parker said dryly. "Now that you know what the plan is, I was hoping that you wouldn't mind going out to help with the troops that are setting up to intercept the Japanese."  
  
"Sure," Gogol said. "But what about you General?"  
  
"I'm going to stay here with the other troops and try and stave off the Chinese until you guys can take out the Japs," Parker said as he checked to make sure his pistol was at his side.  
  
"But aren't you going to be outnumbered?" Gogol asked.  
  
Parker turned and offered Lieutenant Gogol a wry grin. "All the more reason for you and the others to finish off the Japanese and come help us out."  
  
Without another word Parker walked back down the outlook post and into the woods.  
  
Gogol shook his head and started down in the opposite direction.  
  
===============  
  
"They're about two kilometers ahead of us Lieutenant," the Armor Major said.  
  
"Thank you sir," Ranma responded and hopped down from the halftrack and ran over to his platoon.  
  
"What's up Lieutenant?" Sergeant Yoshida asked.  
  
"We've got about half an hour before we make contact," Ranma said. "According to the Chinese CO, it's going to be our job to cover the Chinese armor battalions when they begin flanking the Russians."  
  
Ranma dismissed the other troops and pulled Yoshida to the side.  
  
"Alright Sergeant, I don't want you to leave my side for even a minute once the shooting starts."  
  
"Sir," Yoshida began but Ranma cut him off.  
  
"No," he said sternly. "I don't want you running around and getting your head blown off just because you're worried about the troops."  
  
"Is that all?" Yoshida asked impatiently.  
  
Ranma surprised him by putting an arm around his shoulders and hugging him for a moment.  
  
"And besides asshole," Ranma said, his voice tight, "if you were to get blown away I would miss you, you're the best friend I have right now."  
  
Yoshida didn't respond, he merely nodded and tried to keep the fact that tears were in his eyes unknown from Ranma.  
  
===============  
  
"We should see them in about ten minutes General," General Petrov said to Parker as he tried to get into a comfortable position in the snow.  
  
"Good, I think I might throw up any second now," Parker replied.  
  
Petrov laughed. "That is true. No matter how many times we do this it always feels like its going to be our last."  
  
Parker nodded at that sentiment. He looked at General Petrov and noticed something sticking out of one of the pockets on his fatigue jacket.  
  
"What's that you're carrying with you General?" Parker asked, indicating the object in Petrov's pocket.  
  
Petrov looked at Parker a minute before removing the object from his pocket. Parker saw that it was an envelope, and it had not been opened.  
  
"A letter from my wife, she does not write me often, but she has never forgotten to send me a letter before I go into battle," Petrov explained.  
  
"But why haven't you opened it?" Parker blurted.  
  
An amused expression crossed Petrov's face. "I am an old man General, and I for one am too old to change my superstitious ways. Every time my wife sends me something before a battle, I have waited until my enemy has either retreated or been defeated before I open it, and so far, that has proven to be my driving point. The anticipation of reading her loving words is enough to make me fight the entire Chinese army with only thirty thousand men."  
  
Parker smiled at the General but kept his thoughts from being voiced. Toni had sent him a letter a week or so ago and he had read it almost twenty times by now. The anticipation must be killing Petrov, Parker decided.  
  
"So general, if we do push these Chinese barbarians out of this wonderful land, do you believe they will be able to mount a second assault?" Parker asked.  
  
"When we push those barbarians from our soil I believe we will follow them into their dens and give them the beating of a lifetime," Petrov said in a conversational tone.  
  
"Than may we both survive to the day when we might stand outside the Politburo's office and order the final charge that will bring down their empire," Parker declared. "But for now we must wait."  
  
===============  
  
"Sir, the troops are wondering why we are not going with the rest of the Japanese forces," Sergeant Yoshida said to Ranma as they checked their gear one last time before starting the battle.  
  
"We don't have much of a choice Sergeant, the CO has declared that since the Chinese will not be able to spare many platoons to cover the armor battalions, Japanese platoons will have to be used instead. It doesn't really matter though, were all going to be fighting the same enemy," Ranma reasoned.  
  
"Of course sir," Yoshida replied.  
  
"You just about squared away their Sergeant?" a passing major asked Yoshida.  
  
"Yes sir," Yoshida replied and snapped off a salute that the major returned. Once the major was out of range his salute changed into the finger.  
  
"Hey now," Ranma said laughing. "You do that and you'll find yourself on latrine duty for a month."  
  
Yoshida smiled back.  
  
The two men rejoined their platoon and were then joined by the armor battalion they would be charged to cover once the shooting ensued. A very small Chinese Captain climbed out of one of the Type 97 Light tanks and approached Ranma with his hand held out. Ranma took his hand on reflex and shook it, the Captain's hand was cold and clammy, and there was just enough pressure to be able to call what they did a handshake.  
  
"I'm glad to see you lieutenant," the Captain said in Japanese. "I was wondering if we were going to have to fight this battle with nothing at our backs other than the wind."  
  
"Not to worry sir," Ranma replied. "We'll do our best to cover your unit."  
  
The Captain nodded and walked back over to his tank and climbed back inside.  
  
Ranma shook his head ruefully. "I sure as hell hope that this battle doesn't last too long."  
  
===============  
  
The Russians and Americans had picked out their positions with a strategic eye. The Chinese and Japanese were going to have to travel down a very steep incline into something that reassembled a valley. Once they passed that, they were going to have to climb back up another incline that would lead them straight into the Russia-American forces, which were to be shrouded in the thick trees that covered the area.  
  
The goal, as General Parker and General Petrov explained over the secure radio network, was to delay the Chinese for as long as possible, allowing the other Russian and American forces to remove the Japanese and to whip around back and come at the rest of the Chinese from behind, boxing them in where they could whittle their forces down to a point where it would be possible to coax them into surrendering.  
  
The only major problems that Parker could see with their battle plan were things that he himself would have taken advantage of if they came about. For starters, no one knew if the remaining Russian and American soldiers would be able to contain the massive Chinese force long enough for the other soldiers to finish off the Japanese. If they were unable to stop the Chinese, than the other forces would have to play catch-up all the way to Alden. Another major problem Parker saw was that, when the other soldiers were to come up from behind on the Chinese, they would have to follow the same demanding course that the Chinese were forced to. They would travel down into the deep valley and then back up again, which would make them easy targets when the Chinese noted their presence. And lastly, Parker was worried about the skies. The American planes promised by the Air Force were operating sorties in China at the moment and it would not be possible to for them to make a run over to where the battle was taking place at least until sunrise. There were Russian planes, but were greatly outnumbered by the Chinese Air Force. The only silver lining in that fact was that the two enemies were going to be battling so close to each other that if one of the planes did decide to attack to the ground troops, they were equally likely to hit their own army as they were to hitting them.  
  
With that being said, Parker decided to not join some of the more rowdy troops in the betting of how long it would take to knock the Chinese on their asses and send them running back to their rice paddies.  
  
===============  
  
The first shot fired in the battle was not directed at any soldiers; instead it was targeted at very large pine tree that was barring the path of many Chinese tanks. One of the tank commanders ordered the tree to be removed, and the gunner fired a round at the base of the tree, sending it tumbling down the edge of the valley.  
  
When there were no answering shots from the other side of the valley, the large Chinese force began to move down into the valley.  
  
===============  
  
Parker noticed with interest that the Chinese were traveling down into the valley with as little speed as possible. He concluded that the commanders were probably worried about losing soldiers and tanks to simple accidents, like tumbling down the hill or running over stone that would churn up the tank tracks and immobilize them.  
  
He turned to the young Russian Captain next to him and whispered.  
  
"Remember, when the claymores blow, that's when you open fire," Parker said. "Pass it on down the line."  
  
As the order was passed down, Parker let his mind deal on the thought of the mines. It had been a gamble to put them where they did, but if they were to have any chance to hold the Chinese in their tracks; they would have to do everything and anything possible. It was also entirely possible that the mines could be their undoing, that when the returning Russian and American forces would hit the mines as well.  
  
In the end Parker had ordered the mines to be placed. He didn't want to take any unnecessary chances, and from what he could tell, not placing the mines would be just that.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma grunted with exertion as he double-timed up the steep hillside. He cast a glance to his left and saw that he was the only soldier that was keeping up with the tanks and halftracks. Deciding to let that problem wait until he reached the top, Ranma pushed his body a little more and began leaping up the hill. A comparable feat considering he was carrying additional 110-pounds to his 150 pound frame. It wasn't until he reached the top of the hill that he realized something was terribly wrong.  
  
His heightened senses told him that he was at the moment facing a very large force. Another thing that worried him was that there seemed to be something buried underneath the ground. As the tanks and halftracks began to move into position, Ranma realized exactly what it was.  
  
"Stop the tanks!" Ranma screamed as he tried to ward off the other vehicles.  
  
His cries went unheeded as the first Chinese tank rolled over top of a claymore mine and detonated. Shrapnel ripped through the tanks underside and ripped the soldiers inside apart. The unexploded ammunition inside the tank detonated when shrapnel contacted a HEAT round. The resulting explosion threw a fireball almost thirty feet into the air.  
  
Ranma, who was standing near the tank, was lifted off his feet and thrown backwards where he hit a tree. The wind knocked out of him, Ranma lay still trying to catch his breath as the soldiers in the trees opened fire on the Chinese armor units.  
  
===============  
  
The soldiers were obviously a good deal more disciplined that Parker thought at first. Not a single man opened fire when the Chinese armor battalion rolled up the hill. Parker had been worried that some soldiers might get nervous and open fire prematurely and ruin the first of a long list of surprises they had in store for their enemies.  
  
Parker found his strategic mind going over the current positions of the Chinese tanks. At the moment they were lined up in a traditional offence stature that was commonly pursued in the PLA. In that moment Parker was glad he had studied the armor movements of the Asian countries before he shipped over. While studying the Chinese armor maneuvers, Parker had stumbled upon a very fatal flaw. When the tanks were deployed out in the normal aggressive positions, it left the near left flank of almost all types of tanks quite open and presented a blind spot for the gunners and drivers inside the tanks. If lady luck decided to bestow upon them her presence tonight, than it would be possible for the other Russian and American troops to come up on the left flank of the armor units and slaughter them more effectively than could have been possible under any other situation.  
  
He was feeling quite elated when he figured that fact out, but his mood took a dramatic turn when he noticed a single soldier running after a Chinese Type 97 Light Tank that was about to roll over one of the claymores that they had placed only a day before. Parker nearly fell back in surprise when he recognized the soldier. It was Ranma, and he was shouting for the tank driver to turn back because he was about to run over a mine. It took Parker a moment to realize that he was shouting Ranma's name but as soon as he realized that, the mine detonated underneath the tank. Ranma had been standing much too close, and when it detonated he was lifted off his feet and sent off further down the line of tanks.  
  
Parker lost sight of him, and the sound of the thunderous boom of multiple intense rounds going off consecutively made Parker realize that he had other duties right now. He moved his rifle to his shoulder and fired at a Chinese infantry unit that was just moving up the hill and observed in a detached sense that he had hit four soldiers.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma climbed to his feet uneasily and shook the cobwebs from his head and wondered why there were black spots in his vision. It took a moment but the spots disappeared, and Ranma realized he was standing in between a very large tank and a lot of muzzle flashes from what appeared to be a Russian infantry platoon. Believing that the best thing he could do was find his platoon, Ranma took off down the line of Chinese tanks.  
  
He stumbled upon Sergeant Yoshida quite by chance, literally, as he was running. Yoshida was bent over on the ground trying to feed a magazine into his rifle when Ranma collided, and toppled over him. Yoshida yelped in surprise, thinking that maybe it was a Russian, and was about to stick Ranma with a knife when the knife he was holding was flipped out of his hand and into the hand of his lieutenant.  
  
"Try to keep this in its sheath Sergeant," Ranma said conversationally as he handed the knife back to Yoshida.  
  
"Where the fuck did you come from lieutenant?" a private asked in surprise. One second he had been shooting at the Russians and coming up the hill and the next Ranma was lying next to Sergeant Yoshida.  
  
"Hasn't anyone told you not to look a gift horse in the mouth private?" Ranma asked to the genuine amusement of the platoon.  
  
"Where the hell is the tank units were supposed to be covering?" Yoshida asked.  
  
Ranma took a look behind him and saw the wreckage of quite a number of Chinese tanks and halftracks that had been rendered scrap metal and gave Yoshida his answer.  
  
"Gone," he said simply, and took the chance to survey the battlefield. The Chinese armor battalions, after initially suffering a brutal beating, were pushing the Russians further into the forested area. The additional Chinese infantry units were pushing up ahead of the tanks.  
  
"We should move up and try to establish a line of offence!" Ranma shouted to his troops, hoping they would hear him over the heavy roar of the thunderous fire from the tanks and the continuous crackle of machine gun and rifle fire.  
  
Yoshida heard Ranma at least and he nodded.  
  
"Alright boys, let's move up!" Yoshida bellowed in a voice almost as loud as the explosive rounds that volleyed over their heads.  
  
Ranma took a few calming breaths before he took off at a run towards the tree line. He knew he was going to get their before the rest of his troops, but even if he would have to face the prospect of running into an entire regiment of Russian troops, Ranma didn't want to spend another second out in the open.  
  
===============  
  
To say that Lieutenant Gogol was scared would be quite an understatement. This battle being only his second actual full out battle, Gogol was still a novice in the grand scheme of things. Though compared to the nearly 100,000 other troops he was currently battling with, he was a battle hardened veteran. What made the troops look at him in even greater was that he had personally shot and killed the commanding officer of the invading Chinese and Japanese forces in the opening days of the war. It was of course complete bullshit; Gogol had shot at the moving jeep out of complete instinct, not some superior ultimate soldier. But when he had expressed his concerns to General Parker, whose opinion he had come to greatly respect in the past months, Parker told him to let the troops believe what they want, it would make it easier for them to follow Gogol during battle.  
  
While Lieutenant Gogol did understand what General Parker was saying, it did not change the fact that he wished the young privates and greenhorns would stop asking him how many Japanese he was going to shoot.  
  
Gogol, who was absorbed in his thoughts at the moment, completely missed the signal given by the other platoon that they had spotted the Japanese, and therefore was unable to mount his platoon to rush forward and meet the Japanese in fierce combat. This turn of events served to spare Gogol and his platoon, because when the other platoon rushed forward, it was immediately cut down by heavy Japanese machine gun fire. The screams of horror and pain brought Gogol out of his deep thoughts and he was immediately aware of the situation.  
  
"Mount up," he told his platoon in a calm voice. He absently checked to make sure his safety was in the OFF position before moving up to meet the Japanese, but unlike the other platoon, he did not run, and he did not do it in the open.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol found himself wondering just where the Japanese infantry was, for it looked as if they were sitting back and simply waiting for the Russians to come charging in. As he knelt down in the shrubbery Gogol remembered that he had been informed by General Parker that he believed the Japanese were the weak link, that, with the exception of very few, their soldiers weren't well equipped and were generally unwilling to fight.  
  
Well, Gogol thought, were definitely going to test that theory right now. As his thought finished, Gogol heard the familiar sound of the tanks and halftracks moving up the path. It was hard to direct his platoon's fire from inside the dense forest, as the Japanese seemed to shoot from one area and then shoot again further on away from the original position.  
  
Through some blind stumbling, Gogol found a mortar team, assembling their equipment.  
  
"If you don't mind too much, I think it would be best if we helped keep the heat off you guys for a moment!" Gogol shouted over the gunfire.  
  
Gogol didn't hear any replies, because just as the commander of the mortar team looked up to regard him, a Japanese mortar round flew over the tops of the trees and hit the ground right in front of the mortar team. Gogol watched, stupefied, as the Japanese mortar round seemed to strike the ground in slow motion before finally detonating, and taking the nearby mortar team as well as their ammunition out. Gogol had just enough time to scream for his platoon to duck when all the mortar ammunition exploded, sending shrapnel and pieces of the mortars whizzing by. Gogol was fortunate, for he escaped unscathed. Unfortunately, he was the only one.  
  
Several of his men were most obviously dead; a few soldiers had the jagged pieces of shrapnel buried in their throats, as the soldiers thrashed on the ground, trying to force air into their bodies, though it was futile. Gogol went in search of his NCO and found him, his eyes staring up at the night sky in surprise. As he looked down at his Sergeant's chest, he noticed that a very large chuck of shrapnel had lodged itself into his chest cavity. Lieutenant Gogol felt bile rise in his throat as he noticed the pink froth dribble down from the Sergeant's mouth. Steeling himself, Gogol knelt down and set his palm over his eyes, closing them for the last time.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol shuddered a few more times as he tried to collect himself. Once he was reasonably sure he had control of himself, he reached for his radio and called for a medic. With that taken care of, Gogol went to collect his rifle. He found it, twenty feet from where the original blast occurred. It had obviously been ripped right in two, and would no longer be useful. Shrugging, Gogol went to one of the many bodies and relieved the soldier of his rifle, and ammo pouch.  
  
He staggered back into the bush, and made his way to where the Russian and American forces were now openly engaging the Japanese.  
  
===============  
  
Parker had been convinced that the Chinese were at least rational soldiers, but from what he had just seen, he was now under the impression that they were fucking insane.  
  
It seemed that the Chinese Air Force had finally gotten their asses in gear and decided to start sending fighters and bombers for the battle. For the first three hours of the battle the Russian planes had simply been flying overhead and attempting to relay information on enemy positions to the soldiers on the ground, most of the time to the advantage of the Chinese.  
  
Parker had been relieved when the planes showed up late. By now they were actively engaging the Chinese in close combat, and it would be far too impossible to have the planes drop any bombs and not expect to take out as many Chinese soldiers as they would Russian. That theory did not stand up for long.  
  
It had been about twenty minutes since the planes showed up when a platoon must have called in for help, because about thirty seconds later the bombers let fly with their bombs. The Chinese platoon that radioed in must not have had a clear understanding of where they were, because the planes dropped their bombs about twenty yards behind the Chinese lines.  
  
The ensuing confusion and carnage was something Parker had never seen. The Chinese were now of course thinking that the American and Russian troops had snuck up behind them, and they began to disengage the actual enemy and turn to face an invisible one.  
  
Despite the major turn of luck for the defenders, they were still fighting an uphill battle, and one they would not win unless Gogol and the others could take the Japanese down and link back up with them again.  
  
===============  
  
The concussion blasts were getting more intense as Gogol moved closer and closer to the battle. At one particular moment, he felt what must have been an anti-tank round explode maybe twenty feet from him and it nearly rendered him unconscious. Needless to say, when Gogol finally did find the Russian infantrymen, he was quite injured. His ears were bleeding from the harassment they were taking, and Gogol idly wondered why the plugs that he had stuck in his ears before did nothing.  
  
The regimental commander that Gogol stumbled upon took a very quick look at Gogol and instructed him to move up. The regiment had been pinned down by sniper fire, and they were stuck behind trees and the ditches in the earth.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol watched as the commander ordered two sergeants to make a quick dash for the nearest ditch. On the quick count of three, they were up and running, and before they were even able to go three steps they were down, one of them hit in the leg and the other struck in the head. The man hit in the leg tried desperately to get to his feet but was shot again, but in his other leg. Gogol became enraged when he noticed that the snipers were obviously taking the time to see how much they could injure the sergeant before he died, most likely from shock or blood loss.  
  
In much the same instinctual manner that Gogol acted on during the first Russian-Chinese engagement, Gogol grabbed his rifle and stood up slowly, purposely. As the Japanese snipers took notice of him, they immediately shifted fire. Two bullets struck the tree Gogol was standing next too but he failed to take notice. He had instead been watching where the muzzle flashes of the snipers were, and once he had gotten the location of them inside his head, he lined up his sights.  
  
The regimental commander, seeing what Gogol was doing, got to his feet and dashed over the ditch and grabbed the fallen sergeant, and pulled him back into the ditch into the waiting arms of a medic.  
  
There were two sharp cracks as Gogol fired at the snipers. As soon as the rounds had exited his gun, Gogol shifted fire, shooting at the other sniper. But the sniper was a faster shot, and he hit Gogol in the lower right calf. His leg was thrown out from underneath him, but Gogol was able to shift his stance to a kneeling position. The adrenaline that was being fed into his system kept his body from passing the message that he should be collapsed in pain. Gogol fired again, a two round burst.  
  
As Gogol slowly sank back into the ditch, the other members of the regiment listened carefully. Finally, one brave lieutenant poked his head above the ditch and when there were no answering shots, the soldiers began to climb free.  
  
The regimental commander approached Gogol and crouched down beside him as a medic came running over.  
  
"That was some fucking impressive shooting there lieutenant."  
  
"Thank you sir," Gogol said as he hissed in pain as the medic probed the wound on his leg.  
  
"It passed through lieutenant," the medic said. "Maybe some muscle damage but that's about it."  
  
"Good, slap a tourniquet on my leg so I can keep going and go see how that sergeant is doing," Gogol said, his voice betraying the pain he felt.  
  
"You do that lieutenant and you're going to wind up with some extensive damage," the medic replied.  
  
"I don't give a flying fuck doctor, now splint my fucking leg or I'll fucking do it myself," Gogol said angrily.  
  
The medic looked helplessly at the commander.  
  
"Do it," the commander said. "Once your ready join the regiment about two hundred yards up the field. We'll be covering the armor tracks as they try and take out those Japanese tanks."  
  
Gogol nodded, the most he could do as the medic slapped a compressed bandage over the two holes in his leg.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma hadn't actually seen the planes come by, but he certainly did see what the aftermath was. He wasn't exactly sure if what they had dropped was napalm or actually bombs, but what he did know was that the Chinese platoon he and his platoon had been running alongside was now nothing more than a large group of dismembered and burning corpses. Members of his platoon, the one's that had been spared of the bloody battle so far, became quite sick, and many of them had continued being sick even though the only thing in their stomachs was stomach acids.  
  
Ranma himself had almost become sick when he witnessed the horrible friendly-fire bombing, but he quickly recovered, and was now making sure that the rest of his troops were able to continue on. Except for a few that had caught some burns and minor cuts, everyone was 100%.  
  
"So, after just a few set-backs, what do you think our chances are right now?" Ranma asked Yoshida as they began the long walk back to where the forces were engaging.  
  
Yoshida looked at Ranma for a moment before replying. "We're not going to win today sir."  
  
Ranma nodded but couldn't think of anything to say. He instead concentrated on the facts at hand. From what he could tell, the Chinese may be pushing the Russians back, but right now they were inflicting minimal damages to them. He had few disillusions about how the Japanese forces must have been fighting at the moment. Ranma had correctly assumed that they were in fact fighting a smaller force of Russian and American soldiers than the Japanese were fighting.  
  
===============  
  
"You sure that you'll be okay sir," the young sergeant asked Lieutenant Gogol as he leaned heavily against a tree, attempting to catch his breath.  
  
"I'll be alright sergeant, now go see to your platoon," Gogol said softly. The sergeant shrugged and walked away. As soon as he was out of sight, Gogol collapsed to his knees.  
  
Goddamnit! Gogol thought angrily. I'm not going to have enough strength to get through this!  
  
As he knelt in the snow, Gogol failed to hear the sound of a jeep moving quickly through the dense forest before it had burst from the foliage. It took Gogol a moment to realize that the jeep had come from where the Russian lines were, and that the driver was slowing down and looking at him curiously.  
  
"Need a ride Lieutenant?" the driver called out. It took Gogol a moment to place the driver. The man was a Lt. Colonel attached to the one of the tank battalions engaged in the battle.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol got to his feet and limped to the jeep and jumped into the back.  
  
"You get separated from your platoon?" Lt Colonel Kache Kachikov asked as he started the jeep and continued on his way.  
  
"A Jap mortar took them out," Gogol answered, and then remembered to add, "Sir."  
  
"That how you got injured in the leg?" Colonel Kachikov asked as he maneuvered around the trees.  
  
"No sir, I met up with the regiment covering the armor battalions and a sniper got a good shot off," Gogol answered.  
  
Kachikov turned and looked at him closely, finally he smiled.  
  
"Is there something wrong sir?" Gogol asked.  
  
"No, it's just that the Major from the regiment radioed me and told me that a lieutenant that joined up with them after his platoon was wiped out had stood up out of cover from a ditch when two soldiers were down and, with complete disregard for his own personal safety, he fired at the snipers and killed both of them, but not before he was shot once in the leg. He called and asked I come pick the lieutenant up. It's funny, I kind of pictured you being a little taller," Colonel Kachikov said.  
  
Lieutenant Gogol couldn't think of a reply to that so he instead changed the topic.  
  
"So where are you taking me?" Gogol asked.  
  
"The 84th," Colonel Kachikov replied, if he at all minded Gogol not using 'sir' in his question he didn't show it. "Have you ever been in a tank Lieutenant?"  
  
"No sir," Gogol replied.  
  
"Well, unless that leg gets healed on the way over to the 84th, that's what you're going to be doing."  
  
Gogol nodded his head, and instead concentrated on keeping himself conscious. It didn't work; he drifted off into sleep very quickly.  
  
He awoke to someone repeatedly slapping his face. When he opened his eyes he saw Colonel Kachikov leaning over him holding his hand out to slap him again.  
  
Seeing that Gogol was awake, Kachikov leaned back and got out of the jeep.  
  
Gogol watched him for a moment before taking a look at his surroundings. He was in the middle of what appeared to be a graveyard for tanks. The twisted and torn carcasses of tanks and halftracks littered the area.  
  
"Where are we?" Gogol asked groggily.  
  
"About three miles from the front lines," Colonel Kachikov responded. "If you're wondering why it's so quiet, all I can tell you is that it beats the hell out of me."  
  
"Why are we stopping here then?" Gogol asked. He climbed out of the jeep and just remembered to grab his rifle as he followed the colonel.  
  
"The roads are impassable by now, and I don't want to have our own guys shooting us down because they think were the Japs," Colonel Kachikov said. "So were going on foot for now, are you going to be alright?"  
  
Gogol looked down at his leg and realized that it no longer assaulted his with pain. It was now numb, like he had been sitting on it for awhile.  
  
"I should make it," Lieutenant Gogol said simply. Colonel Kachikov nodded and began the long trek through the thick trees.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Saotome watched helplessly as two more Chinese tanks were hit by oppressive fire from a Russian position further up in the trees. The shots didn't do much damage, but it was enough to make the tanks stop and back up. The tank commander popped out of his hatch and looked down at Ranma.  
  
"We need to get through here lieutenant! Take out those goddamned Russians and let us pass!" With that said he went back down into the tank and closed the hatch.  
  
Ranma looked over at his platoon, who were submerged in the thick snow. Yoshida looked at him with a helpless look.  
  
"We could try going around and approaching on their left flank," Yoshida suggested.  
  
Ranma frowned. "That would only work if they couldn't see us approach. But with the way they're dug in up there, they could see us coming from about a hundred yards."  
  
"Than what should we do?" Yoshida asked.  
  
Ranma thought about it for a minute before looking over at his troops.  
  
"Does anyone have some grenades I can borrow? I'm all out."  
  
He received three grenades from the troops and was about to stand up when Yoshida grabbed his arm.  
  
"Just what the hell are you going to do Ranma?" Yoshida demanded. He was obviously upset for he forgot to call Ranma 'lieutenant'.  
  
"We need to take out those Russians," Ranma answered simply. "I'm thinking that a few well placed grenades will be able to fix the problem."  
  
"By yourself?" Sergeant Yoshida asked incredulously.  
  
"That's right, and I don't want anyone moving up either, and I want you to make sure that everyone obeys that order, especially you." And with that Ranma jumped up and ran very quickly into the thick trees.  
  
===============  
  
Parker had been hoping to catch the small platoon by surprise. He had been up helping some Russian platoons keep a Chinese tank unit from approaching. As they fired at the tanks Parker noticed a platoon down in the snow but too well covered to hit. He informed the platoon leaders of where he was going so they would not shoot him when he appeared down in their line of view.  
  
But once Parker was about halfway through to the platoon, he heard someone come crashing through the trees. Using his ears, he deduced that there was only one man rushing through the trees, and decided to take him out quietly. Positioning himself behind a tree that the person was undoubtedly going to pass, Parker waited.  
  
The soldier was moving quite quickly, and it wasn't long before Parker realized he had to make his move. Changing his rifle's position, Parker brought the butt end facing up and took a deep breath before spinning out from behind the tree.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Saotome was very surprised when the large American soldier spun out from behind the tree. He was so surprised that he quite forgot to move in the last second before the butt end of the rifle collided with his head. The force of the blow, coupled with the obvious strength of the American soldier, stopped Ranma in his tracks, and propelled him backwards. He was able to catch a fleeting glimpse of the soldier before he succumbed to unconsciousness. What he saw was enough to let him slip unconscious without much of a fight.  
  
===============  
  
"What the fuck is taking him so long?" one of the privates asked as the Russian soldiers continued to assault the tanks.  
  
Yoshida glanced helplessly at the soldiers before dumping his web pack.  
  
"I'm going up there; I want you guys to stay here for the time being but if you do have to move, make sure you stay with the tank unit."  
  
"But Sarge!" a private shouted but it was too late, Yoshida was up and running into the trees.  
  
===============  
  
Parker looked down in shock as Ranma's body lay still on the ground. His rifle fell from his hands and slowly walked over to him. He leaned over and placed his hand on Ranma's wrist, checking for a pulse. It was steady, but thin. He was going to need some medical attention.  
  
He was about to hoist Ranma up onto his shoulders when someone else popped out of the trees. He took one look at Ranma and Phil and raised his gun. Parker didn't have time to move, and when the soldier fired, he hit Phil in the shoulder.  
  
The pain wasn't much but Parker was surprised and fell backwards. He half expected the soldier to shoot him again but all he did was sling his gun around his shoulder and pick Ranma up in a fireman's carry and head back the way he came.  
  
===============  
  
Lieutenant Gogol was much more haggard than he thought he would be once they finally made it to the front lines. His haggardness quickly disappeared though, when he noticed that not a single soldier was shooting.  
  
Colonel Kachikov jogged over to where a whole hell of a lot of tanks were sitting and climbed up and knocked on the hatch. A soldier popped out and Kachikov talked to him for a moment before grabbing the soldier's helmet and speaking into the built-in radio. It took a few moments but Colonel Kachikov finally gave the soldier back his helmet and came back to Gogol.  
  
"So what's going on?" Gogol asked.  
  
"It seems that the Japanese have surrendered," Kachikov said, a large grin on his face.  
  
"Are you serious?" Gogol asked. He didn't wait for a reply and turned to look where most of the soldiers were. On closer inspection he noticed that most of the soldiers were now surrounding an even greater mass of soldiers that were sitting down in the snow. All the soldiers sitting on the snow had no weapons; they were all of Asian descent.  
  
"Well now, how's about we go pay our brother soldiers a visit?" Colonel Kachikov asked.  
  
===============  
  
It took Parker nearly an hour to get his shoulder patched up. He knew that shoulder injuries, especially gunshot injuries, could prove to be more difficult to heal than a gut wound.  
  
The medic, after realizing that the general was not going to listen to his reasoning, arranged to have a tank take him back to the front lines. When Parker arrived, he realized that things had taken a turn for the worst. A Chinese regiment had broken through the lines, and they were assaulting the 171st to the point where attention had to be diverted to help them out. This of course led to the weakening of the lines, and the Russians were now just holding on.  
  
Parker looked helplessly off to the West, where the Japanese would be fighting about now. It was at that time he noticed something odd. The thunderous roars that the Russian armor had been making for the past several hours had ceased. His curiosity got the better of him and he reached for the radio that had fallen from one of the Russians when they were hit by a stray anti-tank round.  
  
He made sure that he was on the right net frequency and radioed in.  
  
"Thunder God this is Black Bear, please acknowledge," Parker spoke in Russian. He repeated it again before anyone replied.  
  
*You're radioing in now you bastard?* the deep voice of Lt. Colonel Kachikov asked.  
  
"Report situation Thunder God," Parker ordered.  
  
*I sure hope you boys haven't given up yet Black Bear, cause the fucking cavalry is on its way.*  
  
Parker took a moment to respond.  
  
"Could you repeat that Thunder God?"  
  
*I said,* Kachikov's voice thundered, *you can forget about flying the Chinese colors because the fucking cavalry is on its way!*  
  
"Thank you Thunder God, we will await your arrival," Parker said, his voice tight with emotion.  
  
Parker turned to the soldiers next to him and proudly let his orders go out.  
  
"Hold the line boys! The cavalry is coming to join our plight!"  
  
A thunderous cheer arose from the Russian and American soldiers as they returned the Chinese shots with their own and fought with vigor that they had not thought possible.  
  
The battle cries of the soldiers became even louder when the sight of a single Russian T-36 tank came rolling down the far hillside, it's .50mm caliber gun blazing and it's anti-tank rounds firing at an inhuman speed. The Chinese had no time to react before the entire hillside was flooded with Russian tanks and Russian and American soldiers as they ran without pause towards their enemy.  
  
The scream of jet engines from above diverted the attention of the men on the battlefield, and Parker cursed the sudden turn of luck. It was not until he spotted the American flag on the low flying jets that he let a cheer erupt from his own throat. The radio in his hand crackled to life.  
  
*Come in Black Bear, I repeat, come in Black Bear.*  
  
"This is Black Bear," Parker responded as calmly as possible. "You guys sure took your sweet time getting here."  
  
*A minor setback Black Bear, but now that were here we kind of want to know if there's anything we can do to help.*  
  
"Your goddamned right there's something you can do, put those damned billion dollar aircraft into use and see if you can help us push these sonsofbitches all the way back into Beijing."  
  
*Roger that Black Bear, you give us the coordinates and will see what we can do.*  
  
As Parker read off the coordinates he was filled with a fire he had though had been extinguished long before this war had started. It was hope, and he now realized that they were about to push the Chinese right out of Siberia.  
  
They had won, for now.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Promises, promises, you see, I kept my word. And this is definitely the longest chapter so far in the story. I really hope you enjoy it and I hope that you can find the time to pass on your feelings about it.  
  
P.S. Sorry about all the foul language. 


	21. Until the End Chapter 20

Until the End  
Chapter 20  
Remembrance  
  
The bodies were numerous.  
  
It hadn't taken Parker long to realize that it was going to take about as long as the actual battle to collect and deal with all the dead. Despite the instructions the soldiers had been given, some men failed to place a dog-tag into their boot, and in the process of fighting, many soldiers lost their tags and were piled in the 'unidentified' category. It may seem brutal but it was the simplest way of organizing the dead. Another problem arose, and Parker would be damned if he knew what to do. The Japanese had surrendered, and there was also the large abundance of dead Japanese soldiers. Since very few of the American and Russian forces could speak or read Japanese, it was decided that a few Japanese soldiers would be able to go through the dead and identify the fallen soldiers.  
  
That was what Parker was doing at the moment, with the early morning sun pouring over the treetops. He led a small congregation of prisoners through the mass of enemy bodies, finding dog-tags and piling them in helmets by the alphabetical system. It was simple, but efficient, and they were able to very quickly organize all the dog-tags that they had found. He let the Japanese prisoners get to work, and left them alone while he walked around, taking in the sights. He wasn't worried very worried that the prisoners would manage to get away. The closest thing to civilization was Alden, and there were very few roads that led into the city from the south.  
  
The battlefield was no longer recognizable, it was burned out, and Parker failed to detect any traces of snow that had been there before. Scorched earth stretched as far as the eye could see, and Parker forced himself to look away. As he did so, he caught sight of a Russian lieutenant making his way over to him.  
  
"Lieutenant," Parker greeted, returning his salute.  
  
"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but we've found the General."  
  
Parker nodded absently and followed the lieutenant down the steep hillside until they reached the fallen corpse of General Petrov. There was a large group of Russian soldiers scattered about the area, all looking with remorseful eyes towards their fallen commander. Phil stared at the man's open eyes for a moment before turning to the lieutenant.  
  
"Why don't you go help with body identification," General Parker suggested, but in a tone that was an order.  
  
The lieutenant nodded and called for everybody to leave the area for now.  
  
Once the soldiers had departed, Parker knelt down and sat in the churned up earth, alongside the body of General Petrov. During the battle, Parker had only seen General Petrov once, and that had been in the middle. Petrov must have grabbed the M-79 from a fallen Green Beret because Parker could not remember seeing the general with it before the battle. General Petrov had been running out of coverage and shooting the M-79 at a particular Chinese Light tank that was harassing a Russian unit. The General had obviously hit the tank, for the explosion that shortly followed was enough to make Parker avert his eyes in fear of damaging them.  
  
As he looked at General Petrov's body, Parker was able to conclude that Petrov had not been killed by shrapnel. In fact, Parker thought as he more closely observed Petrov's body, he had not been hit at all. Parker felt along Petrov's throat and concluded that he was indeed dead, but as to why he was dead he did not know. It took a moment of careful thinking to come to his answer.  
  
A heart attack! General Petrov was 62 years old, far too old to be running under heavy fire holding a grenade launcher at port arms and firing at a tank. Parker shook his head sadly. He reached up and closed the general's eyes and went for his dog-tags, but his hand instead found the enveloped letter that his wife had sent him, and that Parker had commented on before the battle.  
  
"Looks like you won't be able to read this one my friend," Parker said quietly out loud. He gently placed the envelope back inside General Petrov's fatigue jacket and lifted his dog-tags from around his neck. Parker came to the immediate conclusion that he would write the letter to General Petrov's wife.  
  
A shuffling noise behind him caught his attention and turned. Lieutenant Gogol was walking over to where Parker sat. His face was expressionless, aside from being tired. Parker noticed that Gogol was favoring his leg with a limp.  
  
"Is that General Petrov?" Gogol asked as he sat down.  
  
"Yeah, looks like he suffered a heart attack some time during the battle," Parker replied sadly.  
  
"Yeah I know," Gogol said. Parker looked at him curiously. "When we came busting in here later on I saw him firing a handgun at a Chinese tank. When he finally gave up on that he tossed a grenade down underneath the tank and turned to run, but he fell and I presumed he got hit."  
  
Parker looked at Gogol with incredulous eyes. "Are you saying that he was in the back of the Chinese ranks firing?" Gogol nodded. "Jesus Christ, the last time I saw him he was running straight at them firing an M-79, and it was about four hours into the battle."  
  
Gogol chuckled. "I guess he really raised some hell then."  
  
Parker nodded. "I was thinking about saying something corny like, 'this is probably how he would have liked to have gone out'. Luckily I'm not that fucking naïve." Parker laughed a bit. "Christ, I can't wait to see the look on the Chief of Staff's face when I tell him about this. He's going to be shitting bricks when I tell him about Petrov taking an M-79 and blowing up a bunch of fucking Chinese tanks."  
  
"Does this mean that you and the others will be going soon?" Gogol asked.  
  
Parker's expression changed to one of sadness. "Not quite my friend, I don't think that this will be the last battle between us. We have sent the Chinese running, but you can bet by the time they decide to do it again they will have at least twice the fire and man-power that they had this time."  
  
"Then we will lose," Gogol said softly. "Even if Moscow is given enough time to prepare for their strike we will be unable to hold off such a force for more than a few months."  
  
"That is true, but by then I think a few more solutions to this war will have appeared."  
  
"Like what?" Gogol asked.  
  
"Speaking about heroes, I heard a rather interesting thing from a Russian regimental commander," Parker said, clearly changing the subject. "He told me about a very brave second lieutenant that had joined his regiment after his entire platoon had been taken out by mortars, and that, when two Russian sergeants went down from sniper fire, he stood up, in plain sight, firing at the two snipers, killing both of them and getting wounded in the leg. Now who do you think he was talking about?"  
  
Gogol blushed and managed to look embarrassed. "I was acting on pure instincts actually. Once the snipers took out those two guys, they started to shoot at them again and I got pretty angry. I'm not even too sure about how far they actually were from my position but I got them both. Now that I think about it, it was some pretty good shooting on my part."  
  
"You modest sonofabitch!" Parker shouted, whilst laughing. "I take it you haven't heard the scuttlebutt going around about you. First, you take out a fucking jeep and kill the commanding officer of the Chinese, and then, you survive a mortar barrage, and after that, you go and kill two snipers, saving the life of a Russian sergeant and taking a round to the leg. You're a fucking hero Gregory, you better get used to it."  
  
If it had been possible, Gogol looked even more embarrassed.  
  
"Were in a hard line of work Gregory," Parker said, his voice soft. "And it's easy for people to just forget about what they're doing and allow all this to consume them. Not all men can be soldiers; they're just not cut out for it. But other people, people like you and me, they live for this, the chance to face the enemy at the far end of the field and have your heart racing with excitement as you pour your very existence into your every action. No one else on earth can claim that they have risked their lives in the way that we do, we fight for our country, and we will die for our country. It's as simple as that."  
  
Gogol smiled at Parker. "You are a magnificent person, do you know that?"  
  
"Yes," Parker said and they laughed. "Now let's head back, I'm sure that there's something for us to do rather than sit down and toot each others horns."  
  
Gogol nodded and began to climb up the hill when he sensed that Parker was not behind him. Looking back, he saw Parker very delicately lifting General Petrov into his hands.  
  
Parker met Gogol's questioning stare as he started up the hill.  
  
"He deserves better than to lie in the destruction his enemies inflicted on his country," Parker said quietly. "He was a soldier until the end, a Russian to the very core."  
  
Gogol nodded, because he could not think of anything to say. General Parker was most assuredly crying, for there were tears on his face.  
  
================  
  
The medic took another close look at Lieutenant Saotome's forehead. His fingers probed the area and every time he got near the large bump, Lieutenant Saotome would hiss with pain. Under orders from the lieutenant, he was not to be given any pain killers.  
  
"Lieutenant, since you've been awake, have you been feeling dizzy?" the medic asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma responded.  
  
"In what situations, just when your walking or when you bend over?"  
  
"When I got up I could have sworn that the entire goddamned sky was fucking spinning, and it still hasn't stopped. I've been trying to keep my eyes focused on something far away, like the horizon, you know, like when you're sea sick. That's been helping a bit."  
  
The medic nodded his head slowly and wrote something down on his notepad.  
  
"What about headaches, have you been having any of those?"  
  
"Well, before you went and touched the goddamned thing all there was, was a throbbing sensation between my eyes, kind of like a migraine I guess. Plus, it's been really hard to keep my balance, like I'll go to take a step and I'll forget where to be placing my feet. I head to get Yoshida here to help me or I think I'd be back at my tent trying to get to my feet still."  
  
The medic's head bobbed again, and then he stood up off the cold ground. He brushed the snow off of his legs and looked straight into Ranma's eyes.  
  
"I'm not going to lie to you lieutenant. From the looks of things, it would seem that you have got a concussion, a rather bad one at that. I'm restricting all activities and you will be kept immobile until we can get you to a proper medical facility."  
  
Ranma nodded his head slowly.  
  
As the medic turned to walk away, he cast a very quick glance back at Sergeant Yoshida, who had been silent as he leaned back against a tree.  
  
"I want you to watch over the lieutenant as well sergeant. If anything changes in his condition I want you to tell me right away. Now take him back to his tent and for god's sake don't let anything aggravate the concussion anymore."  
  
Yoshida looked down at Ranma who was looking like he was going faint.  
  
"You alright there lieutenant?" Yoshida asked as he set a hand on Ranma's shoulder to steady him. Ranma glanced upwards and smiled slightly.  
  
"I would really appreciate it if you could help me back to my tent sergeant," Ranma said quietly.  
  
Once they got back to Ranma's tent, Ranma had began to feel woozy, something Yoshida took to be a bad sign. He was about to go call the medic when Ranma stopped him.  
  
"It's alright Kenji, I think I just might throw up is all," Ranma said softly. "So come sit down here and talk to me."  
  
Yoshida plopped down beside Ranma's sleeping bag and pushed his knees up to his chest so he could rest his chin on the top of his knees.  
  
They were silent for a long time before Ranma finally spoke.  
  
"Come on now Kenji, surely there's something that's been on your mind for awhile so spill it."  
  
Yoshida looked uncomfortable for a moment before speaking.  
  
"Lieutenant, when you were unconscious, you were saying some things. Some very weird things."  
  
"Oh jeez, don't tell me I admitted that I loved you did I?"  
  
"No sir," Yoshida chuckled. "Nothing like that. But you were saying stuff about what I presume is your family."  
  
"Ah," Ranma said. "Was it about someone named Akane?" Yoshida nodded. "Kagome, Akari, Ryoga, stuff like that right?"  
  
Yoshida nodded.  
  
"Well, before you go alert the commander that I've been having dreams about my family, why don't you have a look at my wallet? It's in the side pocket of my fatigue pants; I don't think that I'll be able to reach it myself."  
  
Yoshida carefully extracted Ranma's wallet and opened it up.  
  
"Look behind my AGO card," Ranma said. Yoshida did so and pulled out a stack of pictures. They were slightly worn, but still in good condition. Yoshida looked at the first picture. It was of a very attractive woman holding an adorable little girl. He showed it to Ranma.  
  
"My wife and daughter. Akane's the one with blue hair and Kagome's my little girl."  
  
"They're beautiful," Yoshida blurted.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma responded sadly.  
  
Yoshida flipped to the next picture. This one was of a young woman with long black hair and what appeared to be pink liners running through her hair. She wore a demure expression, one that made her appear not even twenty years old.  
  
"That's Akari," Ranma said when he was shown the picture. "She's Akane's best friend and mine too. She's got a little boy, Ryoga Jr, named after his father."  
  
"When you were talking before you were apologizing to Akari, and to a Ryoga, I take it you were talking to the father."  
  
"Ryoga was killed about four years ago," Ranma said. "I know that everyone doesn't think it was my fault but I can't accept that."  
  
"Did you know this Ryoga very well?" Yoshida asked.  
  
Ranma snorted, a move that served to make his head pound.  
  
"I'd known him since the beginning of High School. 'Friends' isn't a term to describe us back then; 'rivals' is more like it. We'd always fight. But we were always there for each other, and it wasn't long before we finally decided that we were best friends, and we'd always been that way."  
  
"When you say rivals I take it you mean with your martial arts right?" Yoshida asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma chuckled. "Ryoga was the only guy I'd ever met that was around my age and could continuously put up a good fight."  
  
"How did he die?" Yoshida asked.  
  
"I'd rather not talk about that right now," Ranma said stiffly.  
  
Yoshida nodded his head in understanding. He shuffled through the pictures before returning Ranma's wallet.  
  
"You have a beautiful family lieutenant," Yoshida said.  
  
"When we get out of here sergeant, I'm taking you to meet them. I know Akane's going to be happy to see the man that saved her husband's life too many times to count."  
  
Yoshida smiled. "I'd like that sir." He paused but went on. "Sir, there was one more person you were talking to in your sleep."  
  
"Oh yeah, who was it?" Ranma asked.  
  
Yoshida looked at Ranma's face. "Who's Phil?"  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: A short chapter after the relatively long one I just wrote. Ah, it is a pleasure to see that people are still reading this story, and I want to thank all those that have been reviewing.  
  
A little side note. I know a lot of people are probably wondering about Ryoga. I mean, is he ever going to come back into the story? Yes, but you have to be patient. I've been thinking about the perfect way to bring him back in and I must sadly report that it will probably be in the final stages of the story. So for all you Ryoga fans, I beg for forgiveness. If I promise to make sure he's in the story as much as possible from now on will that appease you? 


	22. Until the End Chapter 21

Until the End  
Chapter 21  
A Trip Down Memory Lane  
  
The pain was unbearable. As the guard's boot connected with his stomach he felt the bile rise in his throat. Too tired to do anything about it, the acidic liquid dribbled down his mouth and onto the cold granite floor. The guards beating ceased, but they merely paused to drag the prisoner out of his cell and down the corridor to another room.  
The guards were in a particularly inventive mood today, Ryoga mused as he was shackled to the wall. A small fire had been started and metal tongs placed over it. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the tongs were for. Ryoga grimaced as looked down at his scarred chest. He had been subjected to this kind of torture before, and it was one of the most painful methods the Chinese had of torturing him.  
At 21 years of age, Ryoga was the youngest man in the entire prison camp. To the guards this meant that he should be able to take a more severe beating than the other prisoners. This did not mean that the other seventeen prisoners received kinder treatment; all it meant was that their beatings lasted a specific time. Ryoga's on the other hand, went until he either passed out or the guards became exhausted from their efforts.  
Ryoga's body, once muscled and covered with a healthy color, was now a collection of scars and contusions on a bruised body. His skin color was now a deathly pale, and his skin was now slack, and clung to his body. His clothes, which had been removed for the torture, covered the fact that his ribs were now clearly visible, and that his stomach now dipped two or three inches below his protruding ribs. Ryoga was an educated man; he knew that after four years of such treatment he would not be able to survive much longer.  
As two guards entered the room, Ryoga closed his eyes, and let the constant memories of old flood through his mind. He thought of anything that would keep his mind off of the horrible pain that awaited him. Even after four years Ryoga had not lost his hope, nor had his mind slipped in any way. Several of the other prisoners had already gone insane, their ramblings nothing more than a tortured soul trying to escape from the horror it had been subjected to for only too long.  
Ryoga himself had been close to losing it. The guards in this place had succeeded in breaking his body and his spirit, but the only thing that allowed him to keep his sanity was his memories. But his memories were a kind of torture in themselves. The particular memory of Akari, his fiancée, was enough to make him saddened to the point of contemplating attacking one of the guards, a sure way of getting shot. Ryoga had long before given up hope of ever escaping this hellhole, and about the only that kept him going was his determination to live. The memory of when he and Akari had first had sex in the hot springs in Qing Hai province China was one of his most vivid, and one of the most painful.  
But it was something for him to focus on, and that was what he let his mind wander to as the first metal tong, heated to a scalding temperature, touched his flesh. He screamed, a natural reaction, but the pain was detached, and as long as he thought about Akari, he could continue like this, and maybe, just maybe, when his body finally gave out he would be able to see her again from the heavens.  
  
===============  
  
"W-what do you mean?" Ranma asked doggedly. He tried to inch away from Yoshida but found that his body wasn't complying.  
"You were saying something about a guy named Phil, said that you wanted him to get you out of here," Yoshida said in a neutral voice. He noticed Ranma seemed to be trying to work his throat so he grabbed his canteen and handed it to him.  
Ranma accepted the canteen wordlessly. He averted his gaze from Yoshida and took a pull on the canteen. Not because he was thirsty, but because he was trying to organize his rampaging thoughts. As he lowered the canteen, he glanced at Yoshida and saw him waiting patiently for an answer.  
You've really done it this time Saotome, Ranma chided himself. Christ how the hell am I going to explain about Phil. Think Ranma, think!  
"Kenji," Ranma started slowly, softly. "Do you trust me?"  
Yoshida looked at Ranma strangely for a moment. "Yes lieutenant, I trust you."  
Ranma shook his head. "No, no ranks right now Kenji, I'm Ranma and your Kenji alright?"  
"Yes si-, I mean Ranma," Kenji said. "I trust you Ranma."  
"Okay. Now, you believe that I'm a good person too right?" Yoshida nodded. "Then you also must think that I would never do anything to jeopardize what were doing here then."  
"Yes Ranma," Yoshida answered. "Are you going to get to the point?"  
Ranma flashed Yoshida an angry glare. "The person I was talking to in my sleep, the guy named Phil, is a friend of mine from America."  
"Oh," Yoshida said, nonplussed. "That's what I thought it was."  
"You mean you're not shocked?" Ranma asked incredulously.  
"No, he's just a friend of yours. Now if he turned out to be an American soldier than yeah, I guess I would be shocked," Yoshida chuckled. His laughter left him when he saw the look on Ranma's face. "Ranma? You're not saying."  
Ranma cast his gaze to the ground.  
"W-what does this Phil person look like?" Yoshida asked unsteadily.  
"Big, well muscled, African American and he'd most likely be wearing the uniform for a Green Beret."  
Now it was Yoshida's turn to look incredulously at Ranma.  
"My god lieutenant I'm so sorry!"  
Ranma looked at Yoshida in shock. "What the hell are you saying Yoshida?"  
With a horrified expression on his face, Yoshida related to Ranma what happened when he went after him into the woods during the battle.  
"-and I hit him in the shoulder I think. I was worried about accidentally hitting you so I aimed high. I didn't bother firing again because I wanted to get you out of there."  
"Was he moving after?" Ranma asked quietly.  
Yoshida thought for a moment. "Yeah, it sounded like he was cursing in Japanese."  
Ranma surprised Yoshida by chuckling. "For once in my life I'm glad you're such a bad shot Sergeant!"  
As Ranma continued to laugh, Yoshida felt his worry slip away; it was obvious that Ranma was going to be okay. Once his laughter died down, Ranma looked at Yoshida.  
"Now that we have that straightened out, can I guarantee that you won't speak a word of this to anyone?"  
Yoshida nodded. "You don't have to worry about me lieutenant."  
"Good," Ranma said. It looked like he wanted to say more but he instead sat back on his sleeping bag and promptly fell asleep.  
  
===============  
  
"What do you mean they have been pushed back!?" Zhisheng thundered out. The Army General flinched back as Zhisheng slammed his fist onto his desk.  
"You assured me that this battle would not pose a problem," Zhisheng growled out, pointing an accusing finger at the general. "You told me that before the night was done we would have Alden under our control. Did you not tell me that!?"  
"Sir," the General began. "I was merely acting on what my subordinates were telling me."  
"Don't you feed me that bullshit!" Zhisheng snarled. "Are you telling me that the Army Chief of Staff didn't have a good idea on what 120,000 soldiers were capable of doing?"  
"How is it my fault if my subordinates lie to me?" the general demanded.  
"You tell me! I don't understand how you can assume that simply listening to what others tell you is enough to satisfy whatever thoughts are in that pinhead of yours!"  
The Chief of Staff's face flushed red with anger.  
"I am afraid that I may lose my temper so I must leave this meeting where it is," the general said and got up from his seat.  
"I'm not finished with you yet!" Zhisheng said loudly. "If you think for one second that I'll let this go, without reprimand, then you are greatly mistaken. You allowed a force that was about thirty thousand men shy of our strength to best you in battle!"  
"Not all of it was our fault!" the general countered. "If the Air Force had been doing their job then they wouldn't have dropped bombs onto their own troops. And the Japanese! My god! They gave up after only three hours of fighting. The troops either turned tail and ran or just outright surrendered to the Russians."  
Zhisheng's voice became deathly cold. "I am aware of the cowardly actions that our Japanese brethren committed, and I intend to have a long conversation with Shizuko after I am through with you. Now, I want to know, can we rebuild from this?"  
For the first time that morning the general's face relaxed. "Actually, what happened is not as bad as it seems. We lost seventy thousand men, and the Japanese forces, but that does not mean we did not give the Russians a sound beating. Preliminary reports say that at least fifty thousand Russian troops died or were rendered incapable of fighting. At this point we have been pushed back about five hundred kilometers, and are not at the point where we need to think about abandoning the Siberian Freedom Action. I have taken the liberty of acquiring two hundred thousand letters that will be delivered to the men we have decided to begin our second offensive strike. The Russians may have pushed us out for now but we will be back."  
Zhisheng nodded indifferently. "Good, get started on that right now, the people are beginning to worry and I am not so naïve to believe that I can keep lying to them forever."  
The general got up and saluted, more of a casual wave than anything. Just as he turned he seemed to remember something and turned back.  
"One other thing sir, not all of the Japanese forces surrendered or were captured. Some platoon units fought with the bulk of our Chinese force. I was just wondering what you wanted to do with them."  
Zhisheng thought it over for a moment. "Arrest them. I intend to separate all ties with Japan at this moment, and I don't want one of their soldiers fighting with us. Ship them back here and I'll have them put into a Prisoner of War camp."  
"Good idea sir," the general said quickly.  
"Is that all?" Zhisheng asked.  
"Yes sir."  
"It was a pleasure talking to you general," Zhisheng said as he picked up his phone.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Really short chapter this time. I know I promised a longer one this time but something very important has come up. I'm really sorry. 


	23. Until the End Chapter 22

Until the End  
Chapter 22  
From Friends to Enemies  
  
Ranma slowly raised himself up from his cot and made his way out of his tent. The Chinese forces had moved another thirty miles south, as the Russian forces were pushing mercilessly against the unprepared Chinese. Ranma was denied any activity, the medic observing him stating that he would be a burden on any platoon he was with. While he was entitled to agree with the medic, it didn't change the fact that he was going stir crazy, between the doc's constant fussing over him and Yoshida's overzealous care-taking, Ranma hadn't been outside of his tent for more than a half hour for a whole week.  
This was unacceptable, especially to Ranma, who had a great difficulty in sitting still under any circumstances, and he was at the moment trying to remedy that problem. Yoshida was watching the platoon as they had reconnaissance this morning, and the medic had just been in about an hour ago and he shouldn't be back for another hour or so.  
The cold air attacked his lungs when he first got outside, and he had to take some support against a tree to insure he didn't fall down. Taking a few shaky breaths Ranma pushed off of the tree and began his slow walk. He had gone about thirty yards when a very familiar voice called out to him.  
"And where do you think your going lieutenant!?"  
Ranma turned in his tracks and spotted the medic standing near his tent with his hands on his hips, an amused and annoyed expression on his face.  
"Just going for a walk!" Ranma called back and turned back around. He had gone one more step when he heard the medic come running after him.  
"Don't even think about it!" the medic shouted. He caught up to Ranma and slowly turned him around. "God, what the hell are you thinking sir, if you cause much movement to your skull you could get sick again."  
"Aw come on doc!" Ranma whined. "I can't stand being in that tent anymore, it's like being imprisoned. I'm a hero, don't I deserve better treatment?"  
The medic knew Ranma was kidding about the hero business, but he'd be damned if the lieutenant was joking about it being like he was imprisoned.  
"I think by now sir, you should have already figured out that moving around will cause more problems than they may solve."  
"Even though that may be true, it doesn't mean I don't want to get the hell out of there and get some fresh air once and awhile," Ranma griped. As they approached his tent he noticed a large number of Chinese soldiers approaching. "What the hell is this?" Ranma whispered to the medic.  
"Huh?" the medic raised his head and looked at the Chinese soldiers. Ranma may not have noticed but he could see that two of them were carrying two sets of shackles.  
"Lieutenant Saotome?" a Chinese Captain called out.  
"That's me," Ranma answered in broken Chinese. "You guys want my autograph or something?"  
His attempt at humor fell on deaf ears and the two soldiers carrying shackles approached them.  
"By direction of Premier Zhisheng of the People's Republic of China, all Japanese soldiers currently serving with Chinese troops will be immediately detained and transferred back to China to be held as prisoners- of-war," the captain announced.  
"The fuck?" Ranma demanded as one of the soldiers clamped his wrist in a cuff. Before it could be locked Ranma twisted out of the shackle and wrapped the chain around the soldier's neck and pulled tight, shifting his body movement so the soldier was between him and the rest of the troops. "Is you assholes think I'm gonna let you take me without a fight then your in for a surprise."  
The Chinese captain was unfazed. "If you wish to fight then so be it, though we will be forced to eliminate all other Japanese soldiers if you do so." To emphasize his point, two soldiers hoisted their rifles and pointed them at the medic.  
After casting a hateful glare at the captain, Ranma dropped the length of chain and pushed the soldier away from him. "I won't resist."  
"Good," the captain said smiling. He said something to a soldier in Chinese and the soldier walked up to Ranma and hit him across the forehead with the butt of his rifle. Normally, this wouldn't have done that much to Ranma, but with his recent concussion, he was rendered unconscious from the blow.  
"Hey!" the medic protested. "He's got a concussion!"  
The soldier that had butted Ranma did the same to the medic, though he aimed for his temple, and was satisfied to hear the cracking of bone beneath his blow.  
"Load them up on the trucks with the other ones," the captain ordered and turned to go deliver the news to the base commander.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma snapped awake and was rewarded with a blindingly sharp pain in his skull. He gasped in pain and slowly lay back down, careful not to shift his head in the least bit. He cursed as the pain became a dull numbing sensation and tried to look around.  
"You awake?" a voice near Ranma asked. Ranma twisted his head slightly to see who it was.  
"Kenji," Ranma whispered. "What the hell's going on?"  
Yoshida sighed. "Once word got around that the Japanese forces surrendered to the Russians and Americans, the Premier of China sent down an order to have all remaining Japanese soldiers placed under arrest and to be sent to prisoner-of-war camps. China is now at war with Japan and we're prisoners-of-war."  
"Sonofabitch," Ranma exclaimed as he tried to sit up. For the first time he noticed they were in a large transport truck. He gazed out the flaps near the back and saw they were moving down a deserted highway. "Where are we going?"  
"To some prison camp in China," Yoshida said. "It looks like that's where we'll be waiting out the rest of the war."  
Ranma found the situation a little hard to believe, but one glance at the two Chinese soldiers at the front with submachine guns made it a little bit more believable.  
  
===============  
  
"How are you feeling?" Akane asked as she walked into Akari's room.  
"Pretty good," Akari replied as she shifted on her bed. Akane sat down next to her and removed the bandages over her ribs and lightly probed the area. As she finished Ishii walked in. Both women looked up at him as he entered and Ishii took one look at Akari in her state of undress and quickly backed up out of the room.  
"Sorry!" Ishii called out.  
"You're as bad as Ranma!" Akane called out at him. She finished up and wrapped Akari's ribs back up. Handing Akari a blouse to throw on, Akane left the room and gave Ishii a light punch on the arm.  
"Don't you know how to knock?" Akane asked, though not without some humor. "Her ribs are pretty much healed right now, though I don't think I'm really one to give an expert opinion on the matter, I still think we should have taken her to see Dr. Tofu."  
Ishii sighed. "Yes, and then explained to him that while Akari's injuries are severe, they were simply an accident, like she walked out in front of a truck or something."  
"Don't be a smart-ass," Akane said and jabbed him in the ribs. As they walked down the hallway Akane changed the subject. "Have you gotten any closer to learning who the informant was?"  
"No," Ishii said frustrated. "I have Kimura looking into the political side of things; so far he's gotten nothing but cold shoulders from those in intelligence. I've put the rest of our team on indefinite hold and I've got Inspector Fujita and the other policemen covering them. If they see anything suspicious they'll let me know."  
Akane nodded her head. "And until then what are we going to do?"  
Ishii shrugged. "Wait around I guess. There's not much else we can do Akane," Ishii said when Akane shot him a deadpan look.  
Akane flopped down on the couch in the living room and switched the television on. "Then if its okay with you I want to take Akari over to Nodoka's place so we can see the kids."  
"Go right ahead," Ishii said. "I don't know if I'll have the time but if I can I'll come by as well."  
Akane grunted and flipped the channel to CNN. The encrypted satellite signals she received through her transmitter were strong enough to get through the blocking technology that the Japanese government had put in place to block all American and foreign channels. The top of the hour was just coming on and they were doing a recap of the day's stories.  
*As news of the Japanese soldiers surrender has hit home, many Americans are looking for the President to try and reach a diplomatic solution with the Japanese government.I'm sorry, we now break live to the White House press room where we have just been informed that the President will be making a live statement.*  
The image on the television switched to one with American President George Winnfield standing behind a podium. He was grim-faced and looked like he was lacking sleep. He cleared his throat and took a sip of water from a glass that was standing beside him.  
*My fellow Americans, in the past two hours the State department has received very troubling news. As I am sure most of you have received word on the Coalition victory in the Alden area of Siberia, and the surrender and capture of Japanese troops, I would like to take the time to congratulate our American soldiers and Russian troops for their strength and determination to hold the enemy back. Unfortunately, the People's Republic of China has continued to fight and shows no sign of backing down until a complete victory is obtained.*  
*This troubles me because many lives have already been lost in this war, and I don't wish to see any more American, Russian, or Chinese blood spilled. But it seems the war will continue, and China is now ready to go ahead without Japan's assistance. My Secretary of State has received word from the CIA director that a statement from the Chinese Premier has ordered the immediate arrest of all remaining Japanese troops and the immediate transportation of them to prisoner-of-war camps in China. China is now officially at war with Japan.*  
As the President continued to speak, Akane let the remote fall from her hands and clatter to the ground. Her face was now ashen white.  
"N-no, why?" Akane said as she slowly set her face down into her hands.  
"Akane?" Ishii asked uneasily. "What's the problem, you heard that most of the Japanese forces surrendered to the Russians so Ranma's probably not even going to fight anymore."  
"You don't understand, Ranma wouldn't surrender," Akane explained. "Even if he doesn't believe what he's fighting for he'll still fight, and now he's being sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Just like what happened to Ryoga."  
As tears spilled from her eyes Ishii gathered her up in her arms like a child. He gently rocked her back and forth. So that's what's wrong with her, she's seen what has happened to Akari over these past years and she couldn't stand to let that happen to her.  
"Ranma isn't so weak he would die here Akane, and you never know, maybe he'll be able to escape," Ishii stated, his voice soft and soothing. "If there's anyone that I think could do that it would be Ranma."  
He received no answer from Akane other than a loud sob.  
  
===============  
  
"How's the leg Gregory?" Parker asked as he trudged through the snow, attempting to reach the hillside where the Coalition forces were setting up their ambush on the Chinese forces.  
"Fine sir," Gogol replied. "I just wish the doc hadn't shot me full of morphine, I don't think I'll be able to shoot straight like this."  
"As long as you can hit a few of them I'm sure you'll be alright," Parker smiled, though in his mind he was wondering why he himself had agreed to go on the mission. His shoulder was still suppurating and he doubted that he could take the kickback from his rifle when he fired.  
As they reached the hillside Parker grabbed a pair of binoculars from his web belt. As he peered through them he spotted a truck convoy moving down the road at high speeds. He handed them off to Gogol and asked what he thought.  
"Let the first two trucks pass and then hit the third truck," Gogol said immediately. "Hit the driver in the head and the truck should crash. The others behind it will either stop or try to go faster. If they speed up the demolitions team will detonate their claymore mines on our signal. If they stop, it's only a matter of playing sniper and not letting them into the ditches alongside the road. If we keep it simple and quick this should go off without a problem."  
Parker nodded his agreement. "But what about the first two trucks? Should we let them pass without harassment or try and take them out afterwards?"  
Gogol seemed to consider it for a moment. "Best to let them go. If we try and get them at the start it gives the trucks in the rear a chance to get mobilized and then we'll have a firefight on our hands. Once they see what happened to the other trucks the first two should.how do you Americans put it? Get the hell out of Dodge City?"  
Parker looked at Gogol for a moment before erupting into laughter. "Alright, far be it from me to disregard the advice of a second lieutenant. Radio the demolitions squad and the infantry down the hill to let the first two pass before commencing our attack."  
  
===============  
  
Yoshida helped Ranma sit up against the heavy tarmac that covered the back of the truck.  
"Ugh, these uneven roads are gonna kill me," Ranma said as he struggled to keep his head from swooning.  
"I don't think there's much that we can do about it," Yoshida said as he motioned slightly to the Chinese soldiers. "Those guys don't look like they're going to entertain any suggestions that we might have."  
Ranma blinked before chuckling softly. "Good point man, maybe we should make a suggestion box for them."  
Yoshida smiled lightly, though he was still scared at the concept of becoming a prisoner-of-war. He was glad Ranma was still injured enough that he didn't think of what happened to the medic that had been assisting him the past two weeks. When Yoshida and his platoon had come back from their reconnaissance sweep, they were greeted with the sight of two Chinese soldiers rhythmically beating the young medic to death with their rifles. Before Yoshida had had the chance to order his platoon to open fire on the insane soldiers, they had been surrounded.  
"I'll take it up with consumer affairs buddy," Yoshida said softly as he tried to make himself comfortable beside Ranma.  
  
===============  
  
"You got the sight picture yet?" Parker asked as Gogol lines up his sights on the driver of the third truck.  
"I should be able to get him," Gogol responded with confidence. "But in case I miss you should be ready to fire a second shot."  
"Already one step ahead of you," Parker said as he gazed through his scope. "Alright, in ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five."  
  
===============  
  
The sharp crack of a rifle brought all the occupants of the second truck's attention out the back and to the third truck about twenty yards behind them. As Ranma and Yoshida looked, the driver's skull had somehow caved in on itself and it was now a bloody mess, with brain matter plastered against the back of the seat. The truck continued in a straight line for a moment before suddenly veering to the right and tipping over. Two Chinese soldiers in the back fell out, and in less than a moment they were both shot and down on the ground. The trucks behind the fallen truck came to a screeching halt.  
"Well, I'll be damned," Ranma said softly. "Looks like the cavalry has arrived."  
  
===============  
  
The soldiers in the back of the second truck quickly ordered the driver to speed up, as they didn't want to be caught out in the open. The first truck accelerated as well, though it did so in fear of being rammed by the second truck.  
The fourth truck, the driver seeing the bloody mess that was the soldiers from the third truck, tried to accelerate and pass the third truck but just as it passed it, the Russian demolition team detonated their explosives, sending shrapnel ripping through the truck. The fuel line was severed and the heat induced the gasoline to ignite, creating a massive fireball to erupt through the truck, burning all those that had survived the shrapnel and killing all in the truck.  
In the same manner as the third truck, both trucks five and six had their drivers shot and any emerging soldiers shot as they tried to jump out. The infantry team finally got their gear together and created a perimeter around the remaining five trucks and announced that all occupants should throw out their weapons and emerge with their hands behind their heads. Having no desire to end up like the other soldiers, the remaining people emerged from the trucks, their weapons thrown to the ground and their hands held high in the air.  
Parker and Gogol came down the hill as quickly as they could.  
"What have we got here Captain?" Parker asked the demolition squad's leader.  
"Looks like a truck convoy in the process of moving some prisoner's sir," the Captain replied, indicating the soldiers that were being held in shackles.  
The blood drained from Parker's face. "Were there any Americans?"  
"No," the Captain replied. "It looks like these were Japanese prisoner's sir. One of my men found this on a Chinese guard." He handed Parker a slip of paper.  
"By order of the Premier, all Japanese soldiers remaining with Chinese forces are to be immediately detained and ready for transfer back to China to be held in prison camps," Parker read aloud. "Geez, did someone forget to tell him that they're on the same sides of the war?"  
"You didn't hear?" the Captain asked. Parker shook his head no. "China has declared war on Japan."  
"Really?" Parker said amused. "Guess they didn't have enough enemies so they decided to make some more."  
"What do you think we should do with the soldier's sir?" Gogol asked.  
"We'll take them back to the base for now. I'm going to need to get a line through to the Chief of Staff about this. For now let's just take them back."  
As Parker and Gogol turned to leave, Phil seemed to remember something and turned back. "So what happened to the other two trucks?"  
The Captain shrugged. "As far as I can tell they got away fine, guess those prisoner's aren't as lucky as these ones I suppose."  
"Yeah," Parker responded. "Poor bastards."  
  
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Author's Notes: First and foremost I must apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I certainly didn't intend on taking this long, but something came up and I was away from the base for about a week. I hope you'll all forgive me.  
For those that guessed it before, congratulations. To those that haven't yet, I'll give you a clue. I wonder what prison camp Ranma's going to be sent to? Hmmm, quite a mystery. 


	24. Until the End Chapter 23

Until the End  
Chapter 23  
Hell Hath no Fury.  
  
Presidency is not something that many people can comprehend ascending to, even in their wildest dreams. That said, it came as a quite a surprise when people won the title as the most powerful man on Earth. There are few people on Earth that are equipped with the capabilities to run an entire country, let alone decide the fates of millions of people. Wars were something that most people wished to avoid, a thing that would be best to brush underneath the carpet where it will be forgotten. It took a great person to be able to dedicate themselves to commencing armed actions against another country.  
Of course, there aren't a lot of people in the world that saw a war as a way to solve a conflict. In modern times, with technology flowing and countries tying up old hatred, war was seen as something no longer necessary. Certainly there was nothing wrong with this point of view, but as many politicians find out when they finally accede to their titles, the world is a bitter place, one where hatred is rampant and old conflicts have not died, only sundered over time, but ready to spring forth again in but a moment.  
When George Winnfield first took office, he was convinced that he would be able to ride his presidency without any kind of conflicts. His administration had set a four year plan, which if it worked, leaked into another four year extension if he got reelected. Of course, not even a whole year into his presidency, Winnfield was faced with the one of the greatest problems to face a President in a long time. For the first time in more than half a century, attacks from foreign powers were conducted on American soil.  
The response was almost immediate, and the enemy was under attack before the first week was up. The world seemed to be rallying around America, and everything was right within the presidency. But then, in only four months after their war against terrorism began, the President was faced with another, potentially more serious problem. China and Japan were looking to their north with greed in their eyes. Siberia was the largest untapped area for natural resources, and such a thing could easily send a country into the throws of economic prosperity.  
Russia, of course, had not completely adjusted from the old Soviet regime, and was going to be ill-equipped to deal with such a large offensive by two foreign powers. The Russian President, unaware of what the Chinese and Japanese were planning, was immediately informed by President Winnfield of their plans. It was a grave blow to the Russian President, and he himself was well-aware of the inadequacies of the Russian military.  
Appeals to Japan failed, and the Prime Minister threatened American troops with nuclear weapons if they failed to pull out of the country. Public relations between China and America had been next to nothing since the end of the second Pacific War four years ago. The war over Siberia seemed inevitable, and without America's help, Russia would be forced to stand aside and watch their potential savior be taken over by their enemies.  
President Winnfield doubted the American people would want to have American attention diverted from their war in Afghanistan so that they could strike at two world powers to save a third one. Therefore, despite his declaration to the otherwise to President Andropov, American troops were not diverted to Russia. In the opening stages of the war, Russia put up a valiant fight, but it was inevitable, Siberia would fall.  
However, two things worked out to Russia's favor. First, the commander of the Chinese and Japanese offensive was shot and killed in the opening days of war, causing major delays to the enemy's schedule. The second thing, the President was able to find some resources that could be immediately diverted to Russia. It wasn't much, but it would help.  
The American Green Berets got to work almost immediately when they arrived, and the situation in Siberia no longer looked hopeless. In fact, it was beginning to seem that maybe the Chinese-Japanese forces could be pushed back.  
"And now that we've succeeded, where do we go from here?" President Winnfield asked himself. "The Japanese and Chinese can fight each other to the death, and maybe they'll leave Siberia alone for now. But it's not that simple," the President told himself, "we now have a substantial number of Japanese soldiers under Russian and American control in Siberia. I have no intention of calling Andropov and asking him to send them back to Japan."  
But what to do?" Winnfield continued in his head. The Japanese won't be able to stand up against China, even with their nuclear weapons, if indeed they actually have them. What the hell am I thinking? If China attacks Japan then Shizuko will use his missiles without a second thought. Can I let that happen? Is the risk of losing millions of citizens worth that of spending American soldiers to intervene? Yes, but that would just cause more death, at this point. What really needs to be done is to get rid of the leaders of the countries. Shizuko is a radical, and it shouldn't be that hard to rid the world of his presence, but Zhisheng is another matter. He's got China in the palm of his hand, and I doubt there's anyone in there that will be willing to stand up against him.  
Zhisheng is the number one problem. If we can get rid of him than it might be possible to get a competent government into China, maybe I can go to the UN council and see if they're willing to put in an interim government if he's removed from power, like they're preparing to do for Afghanistan.  
The President was interrupted from his thoughts when he noticed the side door of his office opening. There were two doors in the Oval Office, the main door, and a secret side door used by the Secretary of State. The secret door was the one that opened.  
"Hello John," President Winnfield greeted his Secretary of State as he closed the door and walked into the small office.  
"Good afternoon Mr. President," Secretary of State John Greigh said as he plopped down on the chair in front of the President's desk.  
President Winnfield glared at Greigh for a moment. "I thought I told you to cut out the 'Mr. President' crap when were alone."  
Greigh smiled. "You have my most humblest apologies, George."  
"That's better," the President said. "So what's on your mind, not that I don't enjoy your company."  
Greigh pulled out a large manila folder and passed it over to Winnfield. "I got that in last night. It's a report from General Parker, the Commander of American forces in Siberia."  
The President scanned the first few documents. "They intercepted trucks carrying Japanese POW's? My god, this is one confusing war." He continued on down the document. "Two trucks were left alone. Well, at least that means the Chinese have something to hold over the heads of Japan. Unless they want their citizens to have a revolt, the Japanese will have to try and get them back."  
"I agree," Greigh said. "Take a look at the end of his report, where Parker comments on the orders he found on some of the soldiers. It outlines just where the prisoners will be taken to in China. If you'll remember sir, there was a document sent over by the CIA about four months ago saying something about American POW's that survived the gunning down in China in the Second Pacific War. The report claimed that the prisoners were being held in the prison that the Japanese soldiers are headed to."  
"Shit," the President cursed. "And here I thought it might be possible for those two assholes to duke out between them."  
"No one ever said being the President was easy George," Greigh said with a smile.  
"And I have you to thank for always pointing that out," the President said dryly. "So what do you think we should do about this?"  
"Sir, I'm not really that skilled in military deployments." Greigh protested.  
"I don't give a shit if you do or not, I want your opinion."  
"Obviously we can't let the Chinese know that we know about this, so if we just happened to move some troops into Taiwan then it would look very suspicious. It would probably be best if we took troops out of Siberia and sent them into China."  
"Air drop or have them try and sneak into the border?"  
"An air drop would be the best but for such a distance, it would be pretty iffy, I mean, the Chinese would know that we're coming, and I'm sure they'd arrange for a welcoming committee. As for if the soldiers could pull it off, well, it would depend on what kind of soldiers Parker could throw together in time for the operation."  
The President nodded his head. "Alright, I want you to relay a message to Parker. I want him to organize a team, preferably one that can be transported on at most three helicopters and be ready to go at any time in the immediate future."  
"Yes Mr. President," Greigh said and got to his feet.  
"Oh, and make sure to ask him to pick a good officer to lead the strike, we'll want this to be carried out expertly."  
Greigh nodded and continued on his way, but he already knew who was going to lead the strike was. He was quite certain that the man General Parker was going to pick to lead the mission would be Brigadier General Phillip Sheridan Parker IV.  
  
===============  
  
"Sonofabitch," Ranma whispered softly as the building came into view. It seemed to loom in the surroundings. The urge to relieve himself came upon him suddenly.  
Though Ranma knew little about Chinese geography, he could guess that they were not very far from Beijing, something that surprised him. He would have figured that they'd send them all packing to the Far East, where escape would have been pointless.  
Yoshida nudged Ranma gently. "Hey, do you think it's going to be possible to escape from this place?"  
Ranma shrugged. "I don't know, I won't be doing much aeronautical movements with this damned concussion, and I don't want to be a burden on you or any of the others. I don't want to leave anybody behind, not even if they're close to dead."  
"How much longer do you think you'll be unable to move around?" Yoshida asked.  
"The doc told me before these assholes arrived that I would be out for about a week or more, and even then I won't be back to one hundred percent but I don't think so, all I've trouble with right now is keeping my balance, if I can do that then I'll bust out of here without a second thought."  
"Okay, just be sure to tell me when," Yoshida said with a smile. It was obvious that once inside they wouldn't be placed together. But during the three days that it took to arrive in China, Yoshida taught Ranma a little Morse code, and unless the guards were perceptive enough, they should be able to communicate, unless they were too far away from each other. There had been no time to think of another way to communicate.  
  
===============  
  
Whoever had built the prison had never taken the time to look into a copy of Cozy Homes. The entire facility was painted a dull gray, with pieces of the building looking as if the simple pressure of a snowflake would make them collapse in on itself. Of course, this wasn't the type of thing Ranma wished to see, as he would most definitely be inside the building in less than a few moments.  
The soldiers that had by then escorted them from the camp inside Siberia all the way to just outside Beijing had taken off and left with the trucks. They had been turned over to the prison camp's guards, all of whom seemed a little to overbearing for Ranma's liking.  
Internal heating was obviously something that could not be expended to a simple prison. The cold granite floors of the prison seemed to reverberate with everybody's moods, that is, except for the guards. It seemed almost a joyous occasion amongst the guards for the prison, as Ranma heard many of them announce that they were glad they were finally receiving some fresh meat. This did nothing to help Ranma remain stoic, as he gave Yoshida, who was just beside him, a smile and nod.  
Unfortunately this did not escape the notice of the guard leading Ranma and he showed his displeasure by shoving him roughly to the side, slamming Ranma into a prison cell door. The doors were a heavy metal, with the only way to see inside a small viewing window. As Ranma attempted to gather his bearings, he glanced inside the small window.  
"Oh shit," Ranma exclaimed softly. Inside the cell there was an American, looking like one of those third world country children you would see on the news. As far as Ranma knew, there was only one reason there would be an American sailor in this prison.  
His thoughts were disrupted when he was pushed roughly again, but this time, instead of hitting a cell door, he went through the doorway and hit the hard concrete floor. The guard shouted something in Chinese, and all Ranma could understand was that he was inside a cell with another person.  
Struggling, Ranma crawled over to the wall and pushed himself into a sitting position, and tried to keep his head from swimming. After a few moments, Ranma was able to steady his balance and tried to stand up. He did so slowly, for he didn't want to get dizzy.  
"I wonder if they supply us with cold water." Ranma wondered to himself. It would be an easy way to escape once he was back to one hundred percent health. Just turn to his girl-form and when the guards came, distract the sonsofbitches and incapacitate them.  
For the first time Ranma noticed that his cell was occupied. Observing from across the cell, he could see that the man was very thin, cadaverous almost. He had a thick head of black hair, which was very dirty. Wondering if it was another sailor, Ranma glanced at the man's uniform. He wasn't a sailor, and from the looks of the uniform, the guy was wearing a tanker's fatigues.  
As realization dawned on him, Ranma felt his entire body stop moving. His heart must have missed a beat for Ranma fell down again, and hit the cell wall. Forgetting the pain, Ranma clambered over to the bed on which the man was laying on and, with shaky hands, slowly and gently combed through the man's thick hair. As his fingers slowly reached through the thick hair, Ranma felt fabric beneath his fingertips.  
Withdrawing his hands, Ranma was aware that he had tears in his eyes. He got to his feet and moved around the bed with the disgusting mattress, as he moved he very gently, so as to not wake the man, moved the bed from the wall so he could reach the other side. Taking a few shaky breaths, Ranma knelt down so he could observe the man's face.  
Tears fell freely from his eyes. After four years of wondering, of torturing himself with the guilt that he reaped upon himself, he had his answer.  
Ryoga was alive.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: There, I put this one out in a respectable time frame. Now, after drawing it out for almost two hundred fifty pages, Ranma is finally reunited with Ryoga. Of course, now he has to work on getting him out of there, along with all the others. And now that the President of the United States is aware of the problem with Japanese POW's in the same prison as Japanese POW's, he will act on it. The story is nearing its climax, and shortly thereafter it will reach its conclusion. 


	25. Until the End Chapter 24

Until the End  
Chapter 24  
Political Fallout  
  
Akari did a few light stretches, hoping that the movement would prove to Akane and Ishii that her ribs were healed. Of course it was painful at first, but after doing the movements for a little, the pain became dull and she could move around freely.  
"There you see," Akari said. "I'm as fit as a horse."  
Akane frowned a little and looked over at Ishii. "They have healed quite well over the past weeks, and I don't think she's done anything to aggravate the injury."  
Ishii smiled. "I concur on all of that. But what I fail to see is why she seemed to be grimacing at the start of her little demonstration."  
Akari looked flustered. "Um, well it's just that I haven't been able to move around too much so I was a little stiff and my muscles were tight at the start."  
Her two 'medical examiners' smiled and gave each other a glance before Akane got to her feet and announced: "Alright then, I declare you a reasonably fit person that is ready to be put to work right away."  
"Thank you both," Akari said. "And now that I am fit enough to get back on schedule, I was wondering if either of you have any plans in the works."  
Both girls were now looking at Ishii, who was now looking at both of them with a look of intense seriousness.  
"Alright, I've talked this over with Kimura and the other head members of our group, and it's been decided that we need to take a more direct route in our war against the government."  
"That's great," Akane said. "We're finally going to do them some real damage."  
"Actually Akane, were going to remove them from power," Ishii said simply.  
"What?" Akari asked. "How can we do that?"  
Ishii exited the room for a moment and returned with his laptop. He opened it up and found the document he was looking for.  
"In a report sent out by the Minister of the Interior, it stated that right now, Japan had only 13,000 troops in the homeland. That figure includes Air Force and Navy. The last time I checked, that number is wholly inadequate to defend a piece of land as big as Japan. So, in a quick conference I had with Kimura and some police chiefs, it was decided that now would be the ideal time to remove Shizuko from power. China has turned their backs to us, and is declaring war. While they won't lash out right now, if Shizuko remains in power, we can expect a fight with China in the near future. Couple that fact with both Russia and America breathing down our necks waiting for China to fall before they decide to pay us a visit."  
"I don't know anyone that was in Japan in the days when America dropped the Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but I do know that I don't want to be around if they decide to do the same thing again."  
"They wouldn't do that," Akari said, her voice weak.  
"Shizuko has threatened both America and Russia with nuclear strikes. He has gone against the regulations that America set half a decade ago, and he has had Japanese soldiers attack American Green Beret's in Siberia. If the American President thinks Shizuko is going to use those nukes, then I doubt he would hesitate to drop one on Tokyo, even if it's simply to remove one madman from this world."  
Ishii looked between the two girls. "I don't know about you two, but I sure as hell don't want to have my life ended when it could be possible to save millions of lives. Shizuko needs to be brought down, and he needs to taken out for good."  
"Do you mean kill him?" Akari questioned. "Will the Japanese public support such a decision?"  
"I don't want Shizuko to be dead right away. First we will need to get him to admit that he was the one that ordered the assassination of the Emperor. Once he does that, there will be no one that would object to removing him from power. And with Shizuko out of the way, we will be able to quell the trouble brewing between America and Japan. And if it's needed then yes, we will put him before a court of his peers that will decide if he's guilty of crimes against humanity."  
Akane and Akari didn't respond, they instead waited for Ishii to continue.  
"Were only in the planning stages right now, and I would like you two to sit in on the next talks we have. The more you know the more likely it is that you can add something to the mission. Do you think you can handle that?"  
Akari smiled. "I'm willing to do anything."  
"Me too," Akane added.  
  
===============  
  
Despite the large amount of forces in Siberia, for the past two days there had been only two battles against the combined American-Russian forces and Chinese forces. The last battle of the day ended at 1645, which left a lot of time for the bulk of the troops to relax, if only for a little while.  
Taking advantage of the lull in the action, General Parker took the time to commandeer a jeep and drive 60 miles to the west to visit Natalie, the girl that Ranma had given to him before the Battle of Alden, as it was now being referred to as. A temporary base had been set up and that was where all the wounded and dead had been sent. Calling in a couple of favors, Parker had gotten a Russian doctor to make sure someone took care of Natalie.  
But Phil had to admit to himself that going to see Natalie was only an excuse to get away from the gritty scene that he met daily in Siberia. It wasn't hard to imagine what the great land mass had been like before this war. Every so often Parker would be able to inhale the sweet scent of pine and the smell of untarnished land, but those moments were fleeting, and in only so long he would be hit with the stench of dead human flesh. Burnt and scorched earth was everywhere, and it would only be a few minutes before someone found a charred body. Whether the soldier was still alive or not seemed of little consequence, the medical facilities were too far away, making treatment nearly impossible for those that needed surgery.  
While Phil was not new to warfare, this was the first war he had ever participated in that had become so violent. Trained as an armor soldier, he had been spared some of the more gritty aspects that those in the infantry faced. Fighting in close quarters, seeing the faces of those whose lives you were ending. Seeing the anguish, the horror on their young faces as their bodies were torn up from gunfire was something that no man could face without feeling sick. Hand-to-hand fighting was something that Parker excelled at.  
Of course, he wasn't a martial artist like Ranma, but Phil had the ability to kill men with his bare hands, on the battlefield, where the wrong move meant death. In the last big battle, around four days ago, Parker had stumbled onto a lost Chinese infantryman, and they literally collided. Phil had dropped his rifle, and the infantryman was in the process of getting to his feet, his rifle still in hand. Using all of his strength in his legs, Phil had kicked out and knocked the Chinese soldier back to his feet, and lunged at him.  
It's easy to lose ones self in this world, Parker thought as he pulled the jeep to a stop while a Russian soldier came out of a post and saluted. He checked Parker's AGO card and saluted again, waving him through the checkpoint.  
Maybe that was why soldiers are separated from the rest of society, Parker thought to himself. They were trained killing machines, and that philosophy just didn't fit in anywhere in normal functioning society.  
Before he could continue on with his dark thoughts, General Parker was stopped by an MP and was forced to show his identification once again. Taking a glance around Parker noticed that he was acquiring a lot of attention from passersby. As he thought about it he concluded that it was because he was driving himself around. Generals traditionally had a driver, or at least an aide-to-camp.  
Screw em', Parker thought happily. Driving was one of the few things that he was able to do by himself without having people buzzing around him, hoping to catch his attention to ask him for something or some other idiotic thing.  
There was another reason that Parker had decided to get away from the battlefield. He had gotten a call from the National Security Advisor on his SAT-6 phone just the day before. It seemed that the Japanese POW's that were in those two trucks, the ones that he had allowed to escape unscathed from the assault the other day, were carted off to China to a POW camp near Beijing. Of course, this alone didn't really warrant his attention, but the National Security Advisor had added that the POW camp was the same that the CIA believed housed 17 American soldiers that were incarcerated just at the end of the Second Pacific War. The President didn't want the Japanese to try and remove their prisoners and in the process come into control of Americans, so he was ordering that a team composed of whatever soldiers he thought were capable to carry it off. When asked if he could use Russians, he was granted permission.  
They had four days before the operation was scheduled to take place. With no air support, or anything in the way of knowing the compound, Parker and the other soldiers would be flying blind, all the way from Siberia to Beijing. The flight would be nearly four hours, and what Parker had been told was that it would be one way. Meaning, when the helicopters reached where they were supposed to be, they would set down and get out, and then destroy the helicopter. An incredibly risky mission, especially considering that they would be inside the enemy lines, and with no way of being extracted, at least for a couple of days.  
The Navy was going to send a carrier group over into the Pacific near the China Sea and they would launch a few aircraft to come pick up the teams, but it wouldn't arrive for about a week from now, which meant they would be on their own for almost three days. It was going to be risky, especially if there was a garrison nearby the prison camp that had soldiers in it. Once they hit the prison, the soldiers were bound to hear the fighting and would come to investigate, which would most definitely result in the team being wiped out.  
There were still a lot of things to be hammered out in the operation, but time was something to be yearned for, and the team had not even been selected yet.  
As he pulled up outside the field hospital, Parker brooded over that thought.  
"Four days, that doesn't seem like a very long time to plan a cross- country operation that could help turn the tide in the war," Parker said to himself. He killed the engine and got out of the jeep to go visit Natalie.  
  
===============  
  
There were just too many to count. The scars that adorned Ryoga's chest seemed endless. Some were faded, while others were just scabbing over.  
Ranma was filled with a consuming rage as he tried his best to wash the blood and dirt from Ryoga's body. The torture that Ryoga must have had to go through was enough for Ranma to vow to kill each and every guard in the entire facility. If they got off on torturing these men for almost half a decade, then it was his duty to see that their lives were ended, one way or another.  
Despite being in the prison for almost an entire day, Ryoga had yet to awaken, something that Ranma found very troubling. He had been giving Ryoga some water every few hours, but he didn't want to wake him up just to get him to have some food. Ranma was worried that doing so might injure him.  
During the long period of time that he was in the prison, Ranma had had time to think about his situation. The pain in his skull was almost at a bearable level, and his sense of balance was all but restored. In a couple of days he would be able to bust out of his cell, and if he was successful, find the others and evacuate the prison. He would have to kill all of the guards, and it would most likely be with his bare hands. Only a few guards had firearms, and they were topside, near the gate.  
Ryoga and the other prisoners who had been here for those long years would be far too weak to get out on their own, so they would need to be carried. There were thirty six Japanese soldiers, and seventeen prisoners, including Ryoga. That left nineteen soldiers to take out and at least seventy-five Chinese guards. The odds were against them, but it would be possible if they could acquire a form of transportation and then try and get into Russia, maybe they could find some Americans that would help them out.  
"Christ," Ranma muttered bitterly, "after all I went through to get out of Siberia, I'm going to willingly go back in."  
As he finished, Ryoga began to lightly stir. Ranma was instantly at his side, waiting to see if he would wake up. A guard had brought food about three hours ago, and he was betting that Ryoga was going to be hungry.  
  
===============  
  
As night fell over Siberia, General Parker drove himself back to Alden. The city was putting the soldiers up in hotels and residential housing. Parker had gotten into a hotel and was sharing a room with Lieutenant Gogol.  
Most of the soldiers that were in the city were taking time off; most were probably getting a load on at the nearest bar. It would have been reasonable to think that Gregory would go as well, but when Phil opened the door to the hotel room, Gogol was sitting in an armchair with a vodka glass beside him. His rifle was on his lap, which was covered with a towel, and he was running bore cleaner through it. Most of the rifle was disassembled, and the towel covering his lap was stained dark from the separate parts.  
"I thought you'd be out enjoying yourself," Parker said, it was more in the form of a question than a statement. He closed the door and shrugged out of his tunic. He laid his rifle on the table and walked into the small living room and fixed himself a light drink of scotch. He plopped down in a chair opposite of Gogol and looked at him expectantly.  
"I want to go with you," Gogol said slowly, clearly.  
"I beg your pardon?" Parker asked, confused.  
"To rescue those soldiers in the prison camp, I want to go with you," he said again. "Put me in the team."  
"How did you find out about that?" Parker asked, more surprised than angry that Gogol knew about it.  
"I listened to you when you were having a talk with Colonel Handover," Gogol said unabashed. "You told him that you had been authorized to take both American and Russian personnel, and you know that I could make a difference on the team."  
"Gregory," Parker started, but stopped suddenly and got up. He left the room and went into his bedroom. He came back with his wallet and threw it to Gogol. "Check behind my AGO card."  
Gogol did so and pulled out a photograph. He nearly dropped the wallet when he looked at it.  
The picture showed Phil in civilian clothes, with a broad smile on his face as he cheerfully had his arm wrapped around a young Japanese man's shoulders. The Japanese man was wearing what looked like Chinese silk clothes. Just noticeably over his shoulder was a pigtail.  
"I know this man," Gogol said very quietly to himself. It hit him like a ton of bricks. Back at the start of the war, when he had been given the duty to shadow the invasion force. The Japanese boy, (he really looked like he was sixteen) had been sitting in the trees and was writing a letter. He hadn't shot him, and at the time he really couldn't understand why he didn't.  
Gogol looked up at Parker.  
Phil started before Gogol had a chance to talk. "You see that guy I'm with? He's one of my best friends and so are his wife and a few other of his friends. When this war was just starting he received one of those draftee notices and, because he's an honorable man, he entered into the military as a Japanese infantry officer. So far, I've met him three times on the battlefield. Once by accident, then I followed him to a Japanese camp, and the last time I saw him was at the Battle of Alden."  
"I've seen him too," Gogol blurted.  
Now it was Parker's turn to show surprise. "What? Where?"  
"It was about three weeks into the war, and my platoon had been assigned to shadow a Japanese regiment, and when I was moving out of the area, this boy came through the trees and started to write something. Probably a letter or something, but he seemed to be quite upset while he was writing it."  
Both soldiers stared at each other for a moment before breaking into somewhat hysterical laughter.  
Parker was the first to regain control of himself.  
"Alright you crazy bastard, if you want to come along to spring these guys then you get to be one of General Parker's Happy Volunteers. Your grand exalted member number two."  
Gogol looked at the picture Parker had given him and then handed it back.  
"I'm curious Phil, why did you show me that picture?"  
"The guys name is Ranma Saotome. I have personally inspected every single Japanese soldier now in our custody and not a single one of them are him. I have observed the dead, and still I haven't found him. When you showed me that directorate stating that all remaining Japanese soldiers were being placed into prisoner-of-war camps, I knew exactly where I was going to find him. The camp were going to be hitting is now housing both American and Japanese POW's, and I intend to get them all out."  
Gogol nodded, but didn't say anything.  
Phil looked at the photograph in his hands one more time before shoving it back into his wallet.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: There you go. The stage is set, and all the players are ready for their roles. The next few chapters will be long ones, and once they're out of the way, the story will start to wind down from there. I've had a great time writing this and I want to thank everyone that has read this and expressed their interest to me. You all have been a great inspiration and I thank you all. 


	26. Until the End Chapter 25

Until the End  
Chapter 25  
Free  
  
As Ryoga stirred on the bedding, Ranma got up from his place on the wall and walked quickly to the side of the bed. It had seemed like a never- ending game for the past three hours. Ryoga would seem like he was about to wake, and then he would simply stop moving, his breathing dangerously shallow. The guards had come by three times since he had been locked in here, but each time Ranma had managed to stare the guards down. They seemed to be especially afraid when Ranma looked first at Ryoga and then at them, for every time Ranma saw the scars on his back it filled him with a murderous rage, and the guards were the source.  
For the first time, Ryoga began to slowly turn over onto his side. Ranma wasn't sure if he had woken up yet, and leaned in to get a good look at Ryoga's face.  
Ryoga's eyes were indeed open, and he was now looking not three inches away from Ranma's face.  
"Ahhh!" Ryoga shouted and shot off to the side away from Ranma. "Who the hell are you!?" he demanded.  
Ranma had to make a valiant effort not to start crying. "Ryoga, it's me. It's Ranma."  
"Ranma," Ryoga said softly, almost to himself. He stared at his face for a moment before a smile spread across his features and he started to laugh. "Oh great, I'm hallucinating again," Ryoga said around his laughter. His voice sounded so different to Ranma that he thought maybe he had made a mistake.  
"Ryoga," Ranma said slowly. "There's no dream here, I'm Ranma Saotome."  
Ryoga stopped laughing and took a hard look at Ranma and then his clothes. He snorted. "Yeah right, and I suppose your wearing a Japanese soldier's uniform for a reason then right?"  
Without realizing what he was doing, Ranma started to laugh. "Goddamnit you're as pig-headed as ever Ryoga. What the hell do you want me to do to reassure you that I am Ranma?"  
Ryoga thought for a moment. "Tell me how Akari's doing," he said, his voice now very serious.  
"She's fine Ryoga," Ranma said, deciding that the topic of Ryoga's child would best be brought up at a latter date. "And she's missed you very much, but she never gave up hope that you would come back, and neither did Akane."  
Ryoga looked at Ranma for a long moment. "It's you isn't it? My god, I never thought I would make it out of here."  
Ranma closed the gap between him and Ryoga very quickly and enveloped the disheveled man in a hug. "I've missed you a lot buddy," Ranma whispered as he lost control of his voice.  
"F-for four years I kept hoping that someone would come and get me, but, I'd just about given up hope. The others in this prison gave up a long time ago, but I kept thinking that maybe we would be rescued and I could get back to Akari."  
Ryoga leaned back and looked at Ranma's face. "I wanted to die Ranma; I didn't want to go on with the pain, the pain of having nothing but hope. But it didn't come, every time I thought of causing a scene, my body wouldn't react, like it wouldn't let me die."  
Ranma nodded his head slightly. "You've always been a stubborn guy Ryoga, even in a hopeless situation you'll never give up."  
For the first time, an actual smile came to Ryoga's lips. "Yeah, and I guess the gods have finally answered my prayers, and sent they're messenger to get me out of here. So I take it that the guards in this place are already taken care of right?"  
Ranma's smile faded slightly. "Um, no, you see it's uh, it's kind of a long story."  
  
===============  
  
"Alright, now that you've been told exactly what you'll be doing, is there anyone that would rather stay behind?" General Parker asked the assembled audience.  
Not a single hand was raised. The room was very quiet as Parker scanned the room.  
"Okay, one final note, our primary goal is to get all of the American POW's out of the prison, but, there are also Japanese POW's, and I don't know about you but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I decided to leave them there. If we do manage to rescue them, they will be remanded to our custody-"  
A soldier in the front row raised his hand and cut Parker off.  
"So essentially they're going from being a Chinese POW to a Russian and American POW?"  
Parker smiled. "That's right, but I will be sure to point out that we follow the rules of the Geneva Convention, and it's been a long time since a POW has died in American care. If they do refuse to come with us, we simply tell them that they will then be on their own for maneuvering through China and to swim across the China Sea back to Japan."  
Some light chuckles escaped the crowd.  
"Alright, that said, your all dismissed. I expect you all out on Runway B at 0300 tomorrow morning."  
Parker waited until all the soldiers had left the briefing room before walking over and slumping into one of the chairs. He let out a sigh and placed his head in his hands.  
"Something the matter?" a voice asked from the side of the room.  
Parker's head snapped up quickly and located the man on the wall.  
"No, I guess I'm just a little nervous is all," Parker said.  
Gogol pushed off of the wall and took a seat a few chairs away from Parker. "You really should be worried. I don't like the way this thing has been set up." Parker looked over at him. "It's just that it seems like we could be doing more, like having air support or something, instead of going in all alone on aircraft that won't even be able to fly back out. Were depending on too many ifs, and I'm wondering just how that's going to affect the operation."  
"I didn't see your hand when I asked before Gregory," Parker commented somewhat nastily.  
Gogol looked at him in annoyance. "I will go on this operation, there is no doubt about that, but is it not customary for one to go through the operation in their head beforehand and poke a few holes in it. In this case, a lot of holes."  
Parker nodded. "Yes, and I owe you an apology, it's just that I've been torturing myself with this operation for nights. I'm going to need some sleeping pills tonight or I'll be up all night."  
"I can understand that you're a little nervous, but you shouldn't be worrying needlessly, from what you've told me of this Ranma fellow, he's incredibly resourceful, so if he hasn't escaped from the POW camp yet then he should be alright when the time comes for us to go pay him a visit," Gogol said listlessly.  
Parker smiled. "Yeah, you're right, if there's anybody that can escape from a prisoner-of-war camp then it would be Ranma."  
  
===============  
  
Akane shifted restlessly on her bed. For the first time in almost three months, she and Akari had gone to visit their children, who were stationed at Nodoka and Genma's place for the time-being. It was always hard to leave Kagome when they finally left. Being without Ranma and having to avoid her own daughter was hard, as she had always been surrounded by loved ones for most of her life.  
Realizing the futility of trying to acquire more sleep, Akane sat up against the headboard and pulled her knees up against her chest, resting her head on top. She sighed as she stared into the darkness of her room.  
Earlier that evening, when Ishii had left to meet with Kimura, Akari had commented that she had seemed to be handling Ranma's absence with great poise. The remark had got Akane thinking, why wasn't she a wreck, crying all the time? The answer had come from a very unlikely source.  
One of the things that Akane found most comforting to do, when the absence of her husband grew too much for her to try and push away, was to read some of her old journals from when Ranma and her had first been engaged. She had been reading those journals over the months with great interest, and in a passage that she had written just before Ranma and her parent's tried to stage a wedding, she found her answer.  
  
Why is it that when I think about what would have happened if Ranma had failed to revive me after his battle with Saffron, I feel empty inside, like someone had reached inside of my body and taken away my very essence. Ranma is the reason that I am still in this world, and I know that he loves me. When I think about that, and about the look that was on his face when he held me just before he realized I was awake, I am filled with a sense of belonging, like I know why I am here today. Ranma and I were made for each other, and nothing, not his other fiancées, nor powerful gods, will ever change that. Ranma is my everything, and I will do everything in my power to make sure he feels that way about me.  
First things first, I must get this out. I love Ranma, more than anything that I've loved before, more than my mother, my father, or my sisters, he is the one person that I want to spend my life with. If anyone were to say otherwise than they would be a fool. From the first moment I met him, I have felt intense feelings for him. I harbored them and hid them because I was afraid he wouldn't feel the same way about me, but I was wrong, and so was he, though he was a little more open with his feelings, and we missed out on a lot of wonderful things because of our pettiness.  
But, I've come to understand that life with Ranma won't be easy, not that I expect him to not be a loving husband, but it's the chaos that comes with him. It is entirely likely that I will be in another position where my life could be in jeopardy, and that frightens me. Not that I might die, but that Ranma would blame himself. This is something I don't want him to ever go through.  
I have to be strong, in everything that I do, and I will learn to become independent, though I am sure I will never totally be able to live without Ranma, as he is my everything. I will be strong, not allowing anyone, especially Ranma, to see me struggle.  
  
It had to have been fate for Akane to read that exact passage on the night where her thoughts of Ranma came into question. She had cried after reading that passage, and Akari had come into her room and hugged her, slowly rocking her back and forth and crying as well.  
Shaking her head, Akane leaned over and flicked her bedside light on; she slipped her pajamas off her body and dressed in her gi.  
"I will be strong, and I won't let anyone change that," she said to herself as she left her room.  
  
===============  
  
"Red leader this is Six, we are entering enemy airspace, I recommend that all safety precautions are taken, no firing at enemy troops on the ground unless fired at, we want to do this as quickly and quietly as possible," General Parker spoke into his headset to the other helo's.  
Another three hours until they hit the targets, Parker thought to himself. And after that, we have estimated the actual assault to take at least an hour and a half. The plan had been changed at the last moment, the team had been split in two, and Team Two, which consisted of mostly Russians, including Gogol, would hit the troop barracks just three miles away from the prison camp. This would cut down on the actual counterattack that they expected, but it would result in more loss of life on their side.  
Parker looked down at the rifle in his hand and worked the action, making sure that a round was inside and ready for fire. The weapon was set on a three-round burst, and Parker flipped it down to a single shot option. Checking the sights, he laid the weapon back down to his lap and leaned against the door of the helicopter.  
  
===============  
  
The guards were at a loss over what they should do concerning two of the prisoners in the base. One of the soldiers was a new addition, one that had been sent over with the more recent dump of soldiers from Siberia, and the other one was a soldier that had been in the prison camp for almost four and a half years.  
The problem they were facing was that, no guard had been able to enter the cell for more than a minute before succumbing to the large feeling of fear and fleeing the cell. When the guards consulted the base commander for assistance, he explained to them that they should send five or six guards in there and drag both men to the 'recreation' room and beat them. While it seemed a good plan, it created another problem. Not a single guard wished to be the one's given the job of carting the two prisoners off.  
After a few unsuccessful screaming matches, the commander decided to draw sticks, and the guards with the six short sticks were given the job. Any guard that still did not wish to do his job would be taken to the 'recreation' room and shot.  
The six short sticks were drawn, and the guards picked, and now it was time for the prisoners to be moved. The cell seemed very quiet, which was odd, the guards had heard continuous talking in Japanese for hours. No guard at the base spoke Japanese, so what the prisoners were talking about went by without knowledge of what was actually said.  
Taking a deep breath the first guard unlatched the door and pushed it open, and stepped inside quickly, with the others piling in after him.  
Almost all the guards that had been in the prison camp for an excess of a year were unable to move around, much less stand. This explains why the guards were very surprised to see the raggedy Japanese prisoner that had been in the camp for four and a half years, standing in the middle of the cell with his arms crossed across his chest and smiling.  
Two guards approached slowly, not sure if the prisoner had gone crazy and was going to lunge at them. They came within a foot of the prisoner when his smile changed and he shouted something in Japanese. Not a moment later, the two guards were on the floor, and the other Japanese soldier was standing over them, facing the rest of the guards.  
Taking a glance down at the two fallen men, the guards realized that their necks were twisted at a very odd angle, and a moment later, they realized they were very much dead.  
That would be the last thing they would think of before the Japanese soldier descended on them with a speed that was inhuman.  
  
===============  
  
The second helicopter touched ground and the soldiers inside spilled out, rushing towards the barracks, weapons held at port arms, waiting for a target.  
The first helicopter continued on, though the eyes of everyone but the pilot were on the action down and behind them. It was only a few seconds later that the first sounds of gunfire were heard. The men in the copter were silent, as the cracks of rifles were slowly drowned out by the noise of the helicopter.  
Parker peered out the side window and saw several explosions back at the base. He recalled that intelligence had said that the base might have been equipped with mortars. Leaning back, he told himself to keep his mind on the rest of the mission. Gogol and the other soldiers were capable of handling whatever they faced. Despite the encouraging words, Parker couldn't help but wish he was on the ground with them.  
  
===============  
  
"You alright there Ryoga?" Ranma asked as he shoved the guard's body inside the cell.  
Ryoga was sitting down on the bed, his face covered with sweat, looking very much like he was about to pass out.  
"Yeah, you go on ahead, get the others out of their cells, I'll be right behind you," Ryoga said as he took another wheezing breath.  
Ranma looked worriedly at him but took off out of the cell. One of the guards had had a set of keys on his belt and he would use those to get the others out of their cells. Or at least he hoped he'd be able to; it wouldn't be long before the others decided to come check on what happened to the other guards, and he didn't want Ryoga to be sitting in that cell by himself when it happened.  
  
===============  
  
"How goes it Five?" Parker spoke into his radio set. The helicopter was shaking violently, a cause of the lack of fuel the pilot had told him and the others, and it was very hard to keep himself steady.  
*I've got three men down, two critical, we've managed to take out the radio outpost but we've been cornered just outside the barracks. They've managed to zero us in and have our two lines of fire covered. Were sitting ducks here, but we might be able to break through the lines with a little bit of luck.*  
It was Gogol, Parker thought. He sounded nervous, then again why shouldn't he, they were outnumbered, outgunned, and they were pinned down.  
"Five, do not do anything risky," Parker said, as clearly as he could manage.  
*We don't have much of a choice Six,* Gogol said back. Over the radio he could hear the sounds of gunfire and explosions. A particular close shell landed and a shout of surprise was heard.  
The sound over the other end of the radio died out and Parker was met with silence.  
"Shit," he said softly and set the radio down.  
  
===============  
  
"You sure this is going to work?" Yoshida asked as he watched a large group of guards come charging down the end of the hallway.  
"Just trust me alright, when I give the signal, you dump the water over my head and I'll rush the guards, when they're confused, you let loose with that pistol," Ranma said as he double checked the distance away the guards were.  
There had to be at least twenty guards, Yoshida thought to himself. Despite the amazing things he had seen Ranma do in the short while he had known him, taking out that many guards in a cramped hallway would be impossible.  
"Alright, get ready Yoshida," Ranma said as he took up his position. Yoshida picked up the pail of water and held it up.  
"Go!" Ranma shouted. The water was spilled over his head, triggering the effects of his Jusenkyo curse, as he felt his tunic fill out in the chest and his boots become loose, Ranma took off down the corridor.  
The guards noticed him and a few were about to bring their weapons around to bear on him when Ranma ripped open her tunic.  
"Get a load of these you bastards!" Ranma shouted. Being stuck in a dreary environment that they were in, the guards were rarely able to spend time with the opposite sex, so when they saw Ranma flashing her chest it stopped them dead in their tracks.  
Ranma turned her head and looked at Yoshida. "Do it now!"  
Yoshida, who had been as equally shocked over Ranma's change of sex, was snapped out of his daze and he sprang out into the corridor and began firing at the guards. This in turn snapped the guards from their revere, and they began firing at Yoshida. It wouldn't be until a few seconds later that they realized that the female was no longer in front of them.  
  
===============  
  
The sound of small gunfire was heard from the compound even in the air.  
"Now what the fuck do you suppose that noise is?" a Russian captain asked Parker as they drew closer and closer to the prison camp.  
"I don't know, but I don't like it," Parker said as he looked out the side of the helicopter. He touched his headset. "Set this thing on the ground, it seems something's going on inside," he said to the pilot.  
  
===============  
  
It seemed like a good idea at the time, Ranma thought. Between them, Yoshida and Ranma were able to eliminate the twenty or so guards that had been in the corridors on the basement level of the compound, but as more and more POW's cells were opened, the more eerie it seemed that no other guards had come to confront them.  
Almost all of the American prisoners were somewhat insane, and they tried to attack the Japanese soldiers that attempted to free them. Ranma ordered them restrained, for their own good and for the men that would be handling them. The few that were still in control of their mental facilities were crying.  
Before he could make any other decisions, Ranma ran back to the cell he had left Ryoga in, and carried him to where the others were waiting, just outside the hallway that had the stairs that would lead them to the upper level of the facility. Despite the exhaustion he felt, Ryoga was otherwise okay, which relieved Ranma to a great extent.  
Among the soldiers, eight had handguns, which had been taken from the corpses of the dead Chinese guards. It seemed like a small supply when it was entirely possible that when they went to the upper levels they would be facing armed soldiers.  
Ranma propped Ryoga up against a wall and stepped away from him and faced the others.  
"You hear anything up there?" Ranma asked Yoshida.  
"No sir," Yoshida replied. "It would seem that they're either waiting for us to pop up or they've taken off to get some help. Personally I don't know which I'd prefer."  
Ranma smiled. "The later of course, if they send people out here, than we have a chance to secure ourselves a truck to get us the hell out of here."  
Looking around the group of American POW's, Ranma felt a stab of guilt. He had escaped from the Chinese four years ago, but these poor bastards were taken in as prisoners-of-war. Just in time, he noticed one of the POW's trying to get to his feet. Ranma first checked and saw that he had not been restrained earlier before helping him to his feet.  
The American tanker saluted and coughed loudly. "Sir, requesting permission to go upstairs and check out the enemy positions."  
"You speak Japanese soldier?" Ranma asked in surprise.  
"Yes sir," the soldier replied and smiled a shaky smile.  
"Request denied, you just sit down for now, I'll get you out of here as soon as possible," Ranma said gently as he set the man back down on the floor. He patted the man's face once more and got to his feet, walking over to Yoshida.  
"I'm going to head up there Sergeant," Ranma informed. "If I spot anything than I'm going to head back down here in a hurry."  
Yoshida nodded his understanding and motioned for the men guarding the corridor to make room for Ranma to get past.  
Ranma turned one last time to Ryoga, the bandanna clad man smiled and winked. Ranma winked back and began to ascend the staircase.  
  
===============  
  
It was absolute silence as Ranma made his way up the stairs and he used all of his training to keep himself from making any noises. There were no doors that lead from the bottom floor to the top, which complicated things, since he would be easily spotted if he simply climbed the stairs. He considered going into the Umisen-ken, but decided against it, doing that took a lot out of him, and if they did indeed make it out alive, he would need all of his strength to get them the hell out of China.  
It was probably empty, Ranma thought to himself. Considering that the guards must have heard the shooting in the lower floors, they would have gone for help, and if that was indeed the case, then they would have company coming very quickly.  
It wasn't empty, but neither was it full of live Chinese guards. Instead, the room was full of dead Chinese guards, and a whole hell of a lot of soldiers, none of them looking very Asian.  
Ranma spotted a particular soldier and leapt up into the room and ran across the room. The other soldiers were surprised, but when General Parker didn't react, other than to smile and laugh as the prisoner enveloped him a hug, they decided it was alright.  
"I knew you would come for me you big bastard," Ranma proclaimed as he let go of Phil.  
Parker nodded, but now grew serious. "We aren't that well off as you think Ranma," he said in Japanese, further confusing the other soldiers. "Our modes of transportation are now out of fuel, and since I doubt we will be able to find any, we'll have to wait three days until the Navy come to pick us up."  
"That doesn't really matter," Ranma said. "We killed all the guards down below, and got all the POW's free, but we were at our wits end about what to do after that."  
"We set another team down about a few miles off to take care of the barracks there, which held a few hundred soldiers that would have been on this place in a few minutes. The bad news is we lost contact with our team and all we get is static."  
"Then we should probably get the hell out of here then," Ranma suggested as he ran back to the staircase and called for everybody to come on up. In a few moments the room was filled with soldiers and POW's. The other American and Russian soldiers looked in shock at the condition the American POW's were in. Ranma walked into the middle of them, and then came back supporting a man that was in the same condition as the other POW's.  
Phil recognized the man even though it had been almost half a decade since he'd last seen him.  
"Ryoga," Phil said in shock as he stared at the man's face. Ryoga looked at him without recognition for a moment before it clicked in his head.  
"It sure took you long enough you big bastard, I was thinking that I would have to find my own way out of this place," Ryoga said, making the effort to smile.  
Before anything else could be said an American Green Beret came rushing through the front doors.  
"We've got a truck full of soldiers on its way down the road, they've got anti-tank weapons and mortars from the looks of it," he said in a calm voice that betrayed the severity of the news.  
Parker held up his hand and now spoke in English. "Alright, load up the POW's and Japanese on the flatbed trucks outside. I want at least five armed soldiers on each truck and have grenades at the ready."  
The soldiers immediately went about carrying out Phil's orders. The first of the POW's were put up into the trucks when the first mortar landed.  
"Move it!" Parker shouted as he carried Ryoga in his arms towards a jeep that was inside the compound parking lot. Ranma followed close behind and hopped into the side seat. Ryoga was placed into the back and Phil hopped into the front seat. As he was starting the engine, another soldier hopped in. Ranma and Phil turned to look at who it was.  
"Yoshida! You bastard what are you doing here?" Ranma demanded. "I gave you an order to go with the trucks!"  
"No offence sir, but if all you have is a weapon you've never fired before, than you will need all the help you can get," Yoshida replied.  
Ranma was set to argue some more when Phil spoke up.  
"Can you drive?" Yoshida nodded. "Good, you get in the front seat and give Ranma your pistol."  
They switched positions, and Yoshida had the engine running just as bullets began to whiz by. Not really caring where he went, as long as it was away from the Chinese, Yoshida pulled out of the parking lot and drove onto the unpaved road, noticing that the flatbed trucks were already half a mile ahead.  
The sound of an assault rifle going off so close to him made Ranma jump. He looked back in his seat and saw Phil firing off short bursts at the soldiers behind them.  
"Shit!" Parker exclaimed. "They're following us in the truck. He continued to fire, hoping to hit the driver, but the road was so uneven that he had a hard time centering his shots.  
Ranma glanced back again. There were soldier in the back of the truck firing at the jeep, but the bullets were all going wide. Ranma was about to pass on the news to Yoshida when he saw a soldier standing with a long tube on his shoulder.  
"Oh fuck!" Ranma yelled. "Yoshida step on the fucking gas they've got RPG's!"  
The warning came too late, and the Chinese soldier fired. His shot missed the jeep itself, but it struck the ground directly left of the jeep and sent it flipping side over side into the heavy brush next to the road.  
Phil was thrown from the vehicle and crashed at a blindingly speed into a tree. Ranma had foregone the expense of using his seatbelt, and he was catapulted out of the jeep on the first roll, only to have it come down and fall onto him. Yoshida was kept inside the vehicle, but he had been hit rather intensely by the grenade fragments that had come up and through the side of the jeep. Ryoga was thrown from the jeep as well, but landed only on the frozen ground.  
Everything went black as the sound of more shots rang out.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Now that chapter took a long time to come out. I would apologize, though I didn't have much of a choice.  
Well, there's not much more left in this story, and it will be ending soon, maybe even before the summer is up. As for a sequel, I find it not very likely; I hope that doesn't disappoint too many people.  
Sorry for being so evil as to have everybody get rescued at the last minute and then having that happen right at the end. 


	27. Until the End Chapter 26

Until the End  
Chapter 26  
Fallen Heroes  
  
As the helicopter hovered just over the ground, Lieutenant Gogol jumped out and fell four feet to the ground. When he hit the ground he tucked his knees and went into a roll, quickly getting to his feet, his rifle held ready at his shoulder. He was the leader of Team Two, and as leader it would be his responsibility to find a place where they could safely and effectively eliminate the soldiers.  
Fifty yards from the LZ, there was a tall fence, at least twelve feet high. There were two soldiers at the gate, and they had to have been alerted by the helicopter.  
Just behind Gogol was a Sergeant from the American Green Beret's, and he held a package of explosives in pack, along with a shoulder-fired rocket launcher. It was this soldier's duty to take out the radio room, which would have to be done first, or the Chinese might be able to call in for reinforcements. The pack of explosives was there to get rid of the ammo dump. What little intelligence they had on this place said that the soldiers would have mortars and surface-to-air missiles at the base, which would be used to overwhelm them when they arrived, unless the ammo dump could be taken out.  
"Take out those sentries lieutenant!" the Green Beret shouted.  
Gogol slowed his run to a steady pace and lines up his shot on the first soldier. He fired, but didn't wait to see the shot hit, shifting his sights; he located and fired on the second soldier. Taking his face away from the sights for a moment, Gogol checked and saw that both sentries were down. Turning back, he gave the sergeant the thumbs-up and continued his run towards the front gate.  
Already Gogol could see activity inside the base, as soldiers and personnel were running about. Remembering the layouts of the facility, Gogol checked and saw that the lights were on inside the communications room.  
"We need to take out that radio room before they realize what's happening sergeant!" Gogol ordered. He was already at the gate and was in the process of removing his wire cutters to make a hole in the fence.  
"I hear you lieutenant," the sergeant commented as he placed the shoulder-fired rocket launcher onto his shoulder and went down into a kneeling position. After a few moments of checking to see if his aim was good, the sergeant fired. The rocket kicked out of the long cylindrical tube and shot off, on a dead-run straight for the radio room. The Explosion rocked the compound, and Gogol fumbled with his wire-cutters before dropping them.  
"Shit!" Gogol said furiously as he picked them up and resumed creating a hole large enough for the soldiers to fit through. In another twenty seconds the hole was made and Gogol stepped back to allow the sergeant access inside. Looking back, Gogol waved his arm quickly to allow the others to see that it was time to get inside the base.  
Checking to see that his message was understood, Gogol knelt down and crawled through the hole and sprinted to the nearest building where the sergeant was squatting near.  
"The rest of the others are coming?" he asked. Gogol nodded. "Alright, it's another hundred or so yards before I can get in a position to get the ammo dump, so I'm going to need you guys to create a diversion. If the Chinese get those mortars ready, they'll be able to chew us apart."  
"Got it," Gogol said. "You get as close as you can without detection and we'll take out as many soldiers as we can."  
The Green Beret nodded and jumped to his feet and took off at a sprint towards the next building. Gogol turned his head to see the progress of the others so he missed the sergeant get hit in the side and hitting the ground. But what he didn't miss was the loud crack of a rifle. Whipping his head to the side, Gogol saw the sergeant on the ground, blood staining his upper arm and high back. The sergeant was attempting to crawl to safety, but with one arm he wasn't going to make it before the others realized that he wasn't dead.  
"Goddamnit!" Gogol whispered furiously before rushing to his feet and charging as quickly as he could towards the fallen sergeant. Swinging his rifle around his shoulder, Gogol grabbed the American sergeant by the arms and began to drag him behind one of the buildings. A few shouts in Chinese turned into a lot of rifle fire as Gogol heard the report as rounds flew around him and impacted the ground next to him. He barely managed to pull the sergeant to safety before he lost his grip and fell backwards. His right hand was covered with blood, which had made his hand slip off the soldier's tunic.  
"Where are you hit sergeant?" Gogol asked as he pulled his trench knife from it's sheath on his leg.  
"I, I think it went through my arm and into my side sir," the sergeant said, struggling to keep him calm. Gogol used his knife to rip away the fabric from the soldier's arm and checked the wound. The sergeant was right; the round had hit him in the upper arm, and gone right through, only to go in through his side. Pushing the soldier onto his side, Gogol checked his back for any other holes. There was one just above the small of his back, and it was clean.  
Using his knife again, Gogol removed the fabric near the wound and placed his hand over the wound. He looked around and located the rest of the team, who were waiting on the other side behind the building he had just been behind.  
"How bad is it?" the sergeant asked in a fearful voice. Gogol looked the soldier in the eyes and saw the horror that was in them.  
"It was a clean hit sergeant, and as long as I can keep pressure on this, then you shouldn't bleed to death." Gogol motioned with his free hand for the rest of them to come across the opening.  
Gogol heard a choking noise and looked back down at the sergeant's face, blood and thick tissue matter was streaming from his mouth. The soldier was going into shock and began to violently shake.  
"Shit!" Gogol said as he tried to keep the sergeant from shaking and still keep his hand over the wound on his back. He looked up and saw that most of the soldiers were over on this side.  
Once the first soldier was over, Gogol spared the time to look at him and ask, "Do you have any medical experience?"  
"No sir, but Corporal Bradley does," the soldier replied, indicating another Green Beret that was on his way. "You need a hand sir?"  
The soldier didn't wait for a reply and helped Gogol attempt to keep the American sergeant from shaking. Just as it seemed that the rest of the men had crossed the opening, the first mortar fell. The round was short, by at least twenty meters, but the next one hit close.  
"Where's Corporal Bradley?" Gogol asked the assembled men.  
"Right here sir," a very large Green Beret spoke.  
"Get over here and keep the sergeant from dying. He's been hit in the arm and through the side and back; I think he's going into shock."  
Gogol relinquished his hold on the sergeant and let the American corporal take over. He turned and looked for the Russian sergeant he had chosen as his second-in-command. He found him and motioned for him to come closer.  
"What's the situation here sergeant?" Gogol asked.  
"Sir, two men hit the ground hard in the helicopter and most likely broke or sprained their legs. We left them to try and catch up. If that's Sergeant Garnier, than it means the Chinese have been able to successfully keep the ammo dump from going up."  
Before Gogol had a chance to reply, the radio in the sergeant's pack began to squawk.  
"This is Five, who's calling?" Gogol spoke into the radio.  
*This is Six, Five, how goes everything done there?*  
It was Parker, and from the sounds of things he was still in the helicopter.  
"We've got three wounded men, one seriously, and the Chinese have us zeroed in. They have mortars and are tearing us apart. We've managed to take out the radio outpost but we've been cornered just outside the barracks, our two lines of fire have been unable to establish firing positions and we've got wounded. We might be able to get through, with a little bit of luck."  
*Five, do not do anything risky.*  
"We don't have much of a choice Six," Gogol said. The sound of a mortar bearing down on them made Gogol scream for everybody to get down. The mortar hit close, maybe a few yards away from their position, and the shrapnel went screaming by.  
A few screams echoed out and Gogol slowly shifted into a sitting position, he checked the radio and saw that shrapnel had torn it to shreds, the Russian sergeant holding the radio wasn't in much better condition.  
"Everybody alright?" Gogol asked as he did a mental check to see if all of his body parts were still in place.  
Corporal Bradley was the first one to speak up. "We've lost Sergeant Garnier sir."  
Gogol nodded his head. Everybody that was still able to stand stood up. He did a quick check and he came up short. He checked the bodies on the ground and found that three more men were killed by the mortar. That brought the number of men down to eight, and if the intelligence was right, and it had proven itself to be dead-on so far, then they were facing around sixty or so Chinese. Not very good odds.  
"Alright everyone, we're in a bad way here, and unless we do some quick thinking, we'll end up like the others."  
The American corporal, Bradley, spoke up.  
"Sir, I can take Sergeant Garnier's C4 pack and take out the ammo dumps."  
Gogol shook his head. "The ammo dump isn't important right now corporal, we need to get rid of those mortars."  
"Oh," Corporal Bradley said. "Well, I can do that too I think."  
Gogol looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure corporal?"  
Bradley nodded. "I can run fast enough sir, I broke the GI record for the one hundred meter sprint in combat fatigues last year," he said confidently.  
Surprising the others, Gogol laughed. "Alright you crazy bastard, grab those explosives and see what you can do, the rest of us will give you some cover fire."  
Without any other word, Corporal Bradley grabbed the explosive pack and sprinted around the corner of the barrack housing.  
"Team Two; let's let Mr. Bradley break his record shall we?"  
  
===============  
  
Living up to everything he said, Corporal Bradley was within twenty feet of those mortars in less than a minute. Using the scope on a fallen soldier's rifle, Gogol was able to see that the Chinese mortars were not evenly spaced properly, and when Bradley did throw the C4 pack, it would be enough to get rid of them.  
Bradley was within ten feet when he was in the position to throw the pack. He did so, but before he could follow through with the toss, a Chinese soldier picked him off, and hit him in the chest from the looks of things. The pack fell about five feet short of the Chinese mortar team, and failed to detonate.  
"Oh shit," Gogol said worriedly. "Bradley's down, and the pack didn't go off."  
More mortars fell around them, and Gogol had to cover his ear's to fight the concussion blast. Once the nausea passed, Gogol picked up his rifle and, like a true marksmen, aimed down the opening at where the pack fell, and fired.  
He missed, but only by a few feet. Adjusting his aim, Gogol fired again. His aim was good, and the round struck the pack. It was enough to cause the explosives to detonate. The roar was thunderous, and it shook the ground from over one hundred yards. The mortars ceased to fall, and the rest of the team began to lay down fire at the remaining Chinese soldiers.  
They hadn't been able to eliminate all of them, but at least it was now a simple shoot-out.  
  
===============  
  
Unfortunately, while the intelligence had been correct on all accounts so far, it had failed to pick up that there might be more than one communications room. The Chinese operator was able to place a call to the PLA inside Beijing, and asked for reinforcements, but that would take almost three or four hours to get there. But before he could look for the numbers of any military base closer to them, the phone began to ring.  
It was some of the guards at the POW camp just a few miles away, and they said that there was a riot in the cells, and that an American helicopter was landing outside.  
The word was passed down the line to the base commander, and he ordered twenty or so men to go deal with the prison camp. The remaining soldiers, thirty-seven men, would finish off the soldiers here.  
  
===============  
  
The pilot of the helicopter was finishing planting the explosives inside when he heard the rumble of a truck. Peering out the canopy, he saw that a flatbed truck with a lot of soldiers in the back was heading off down the road, in the direction of the prison camp. That wasn't good, especially since the mortar rounds that had been falling intensely for the past ten minutes were silent now. Reaching for the radio the lieutenant had left him, the pilot attempted to contact the others, unless they were already dead.  
  
===============  
  
The simpler handset radio's that were issued so each soldier could talk to each other began to squawk, and Gogol had to lay down his rifle to pick it up.  
"Go ahead," Gogol said. "This is Five."  
*A truck filled with soldiers just left the base and is heading towards the prison camp,* the voice Gogol recognized as the pilot's informed.  
"Okay, be advised that we are pulling out. Be ready to blow the ride in less than five minutes," Gogol informed the pilot. He set the radio handset on the ground and turned to the others. "Alright boys, they snuck some guys past us, and they're headed for the prison camp, we need to get out of here on the double."  
There was about ten or so soldiers left on the Chinese side, and Gogol was hoping that instead of pursuing, they would stay here and do some damage control.  
He gathered the team together and then led them towards the rear of the base, where they had entered.  
  
===============  
  
The pilot blew the helicopter at exactly 1645, local time, and joined the remainder of Team Two, which was double timing it over the hilly roadside to quickly reach the base. It took about twenty minutes for all of them to get into a position where they could see the entire compound, and from what they saw, things were not good.  
The POW's were being loaded up in trucks and very quickly being driven out of the prison camp and off to the west. The truck carrying the Chinese soldiers was less than one hundred meters away from the camp when the last of the trucks pulled out and onto the road. Believing that they could relax, the soldiers stopped running and took a relaxed pace, searching for areas where they could effectively eliminate the soldiers in the truck. Gogol however, noticed a jeep with four occupants try and pull out of the parking lot, only to have the truck carrying the soldiers speed up after them.  
"We've got friendlies in that jeep!" Gogol announced. "Someone take out the driver of that truck!"  
As the soldiers got into firing positions, Gogol saw a Chinese soldier trying to aim a RPG at the jeep. Dropping his binoculars, Gogol swung his rifle around and took aim. The shot was just over two hundred yards, not an easily accomplishable shot. He fired, but hit low and a little late.  
The round struck the Chinese soldier in the arm, which must have caused a muscle spasm, and he fired the rocket, the shot was wide, but not wide enough. The jeep was hit and it began flipping end over end off the road.  
"Don't let them get out of range!" Gogol shouted, and the other soldiers began firing. Gogol himself decided to aim for the truck itself, and put a few rounds into the front hood of the truck. It did not disable the truck, but it scared the driver, and he panicked, throwing the truck hard to the left, and in effect spilling the occupants in the back out and into the road. The truck was traveling at around sixty-five miles per hour and the soldiers hit hard.  
"Move up Team Two!" Gogol shouted. "Eliminate anything that you interpret as an aggressive action."  
  
===============  
  
The last order Gogol had issued had little relevance once they got closer. Nearly all the soldiers were dead, either from hitting the ground at such a speed, or from the shooting of the others earlier on. A few were still alive, though they were in no condition to do much of anything other than moaning and screaming in pain. Gogol had the team check the conditions of the Chinese soldiers and search for anyone that might have escaped.  
He grabbed two soldiers and ran towards where the jeep had crashed into the brush. While the snow on the ground was thick, it wouldn't have been very significant in stopping someone falling out of a speeding jeep from being seriously injured when they eventually hit the ground.  
As they approached, Gogol could see that a Japanese male, was the closest to the road, but he was most certainly dead. From the position of the crushed scenery, the jeep had rolled right over the place where the body lay, and judging from the lack of rise and fall of the chest, his life was expired. It took Gogol a moment to realize that it was the soldier that he had seen earlier in the war, Ranma. Gogol walked past the body and reached the jeep. The driver, another Japanese male, wearing a soldier's uniform, was alive, though the gravity of his wounds wouldn't allow him to survive for more than a few hours. Shrapnel from the shoulder-fired explosive must have hit him directly, after it tore through the sides of the jeep. His right arm was a bloody mess, simply consisting of torn tissue and bone fragments. Several fragments must have struck him in the neck as well, for there was a distinct sound of air escaping his throat though making a sick gurgling noise as it passed the blood.  
Gogol ordered the two soldiers to administer first-aid to the Japanese soldier and then continued on. The next body he came across was very hard to see. The man had very deep scraggly hair, as if he hadn't had a hair-cut in a long time, and he was in deeply stained clothes, most likely of an American tanker. The man was obviously suffering from malnutrition, as he was almost cadaverous in appearance. Leaning down, Gogol could see that he hadn't received any great damage, though he was on death's doorstep as well.  
Before he could begin to try and assist the man, a loud groan sounded from a little ways off and Gogol quickly snatched up his rifle and made his way over. It wasn't hard to recognize the soldier, as his large body and very black skin made him easy to identify. His hand shaking uncontrollably, Gogol approached Phil's body and knelt down beside him. Judging from the way his body was twisted, he had struck the tree that he was now lying beside. Gogol couldn't tell, but Phil most likely had suffered a spinal cord injury.  
"Phil, can you hear me?" Gogol asked. Parker's eyes opened and he looked at Gogol for a moment before trying to shift his position.  
"I can't feel my legs or my arms," Parker announced in a rough voice that was filled with fear.  
"Just stay there Phil," Gogol said. "I think you might have hurt your spine when you hit the tree."  
"Where are Ranma, and Ryoga?" Parker asked, his voice sounding as though he were more worried about them then the condition that he was in.  
Not wanting to tell Phil the truth, Gogol avoided the question. "Just wait there and I'll go get some help." Getting to his feet he quickly marched out of the brush and signaled to the remaining troops by the disabled Chinese truck and motioned for them to come over. He also asked one of the soldiers working on the Japanese soldier in the jeep to go try and find a vehicle in the parking lot of the prison compound and head off to the rendezvous and find the others.  
Phil hadn't moved at all since Gogol had left, something that filled him with dread. While it might be that he just simply was in too much pain and the loss of control of his limbs was temporary, Gogol wasn't one to put too much faith in blind hope.  
Kneeling down next to him, Gogol talked softly to Phil.  
"I've sent a soldier to go track down the others Phil, and then were going to try and hide while we wait for the Navy planes to come," he announced as he began to check Parker's legs for any signs of life. He pushed and prodded but Parker made no response. As he went to check his arms, Parker spoke up.  
"How are the others?" Parker asked. It was obvious that he meant the men that were with him in the jeep, but Gogol purposely misunderstood.  
"We lost twelve men at the base, but the rest are alright, and if the rest of team two and the POW's made it out of here than there are no more casualties."  
Parker craned his neck and looked at Gogol intently. "What about the men that were with me?"  
It would be impossible to misinterpret that, so Gogol heaved a sigh and looked down at the snow covered ground. "Ranma's dead Phil, he was crushed when the jeep rolled over him, and he must have hit the ground hard. The driver is most definitely going to die in the next few hours, unless we can somehow get him to a surgeon, which is impossible. The last man, the one that was a POW, might survive, but from what I can tell he probably won't last out the three days."  
Parker closed his eyes as he swore sadly. His chest began to heave as the mountain of a man began to weep. Tears ran feely from his eyes and he was unable to wipe them away, as he could still not use his limbs. They had come so far, deep into the heart of the beast, and done everything short of a miracle but it didn't matter. Ranma was dead, along with Ryoga, who had spent half a decade in this desolate place. After everything, none of it mattered, and it was lost.  
Suddenly, Parker's expression changed, his look of saddened depression was changed to one of rage.  
Goddamn this war anyways! Damn the Chinese! Their greed, along with the Japanese government was enough to cost the lives of all these great men, and was responsible for thousands of other deaths.  
"Take me to them," Parker announced suddenly.  
"Huh?" Gogol said, surprised that Parker was talking.  
"Take me to Ranma and Ryoga, I want to see them for sure, cause there's no way I'm accepting that they're dead till I see them," Parker said. "Drag me if you have to but I need to see them for myself."  
Gogol was apprehensive, but ended up dragging Parker to Ryoga's body. He helped Parker to his feet, which did little more than drag behind him, and allowed him to lean heavily on his shoulder. Parker stared at Ryoga with a broken look, like he had just been beaten a thousand times over. The thin Japanese man's body was still, though his chest continued to rise and fall. Parker looked down at the ground and said a few prayers.  
"There's no way we can save him?" Parker asked in a hopeless voice.  
Gogol shrugged, or did the best he could while carrying Parker's massive weight. "It depends, once the other team gets here, I want a real medic to go over him and see if it's possible to keep him alive until we can get to a Navy ship where he'll be transported to a hospital ship."  
Parker nodded sadly. "C-can you take me to see Ranma?"  
The sadness portrayed through his voice made Gogol want to hug him to his chest but that wouldn't help anything.  
Gogol supported Parker as they moved towards where Ranma's carcass lay. Gogol looked down and saw that Phil's legs were beginning to move with him, a good sign. Gogol was to intent on watching Parker that he walked within a few inches of where Ranma lay.  
"Why did we stop?" Parker asked, confused. Gogol looked at him confused and then looked down at where the body was, thinking that maybe Phil couldn't see it. But when he looked down, Ranma was gone.  
"What the hell?" Gogol asked in shock as he let Parker fall from his grasp and hit the ground. Phil made a loud curse and looked up at Gogol, annoyed. Gogol paid him no heed and instead trudged out towards the road, where the soldiers had pulled the Japanese soldier from the jeep.  
"Where did you put the other body?" Gogol asked. The remaining shoulder looked at him oddly before answering.  
"There isn't any out here Lieutenant. The rest of the troops are coming now, if that's what you mean."  
Gogol didn't answer and instead walked back into the brush to where he had left Phil. He was about to say something to Parker when he noticed the look on Phil's face. He was staring in absolute shock towards a tree just out of Gogol's field of vision. Approaching cautiously, Gogol noted that the sound of very deep breathing could be heard from just beyond the thick brush. Pushing it aside, Gogol looked in and nearly shouted in surprise.  
Leaning against the large tree was Lieutenant Ranma Saotome. His face was a bloody mess, and he was using one arm to keep himself upright, while the other was used to hold his ribs. He smiled wryly at Gogol, and then at Phil.  
"What? Don't tell me you thought I'd go yet did ya?  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I know I know, I'm a horrible person. Gone over two weeks without writing a thing. For those reader's that are just about fed up, I promise that I will not take this long to push the rest of the chapters out, as I'm almost done wrapping everything up. Now that the kids are back at school I'll be able to get some more writing done.  
Please give me your opinions, that is, if they're not something that would involve bodily harm to me. 


	28. Until the End Chapter 27

Until the End  
Chapter 27  
You say you want a Revolution  
  
"But how can we be sure that this will work?" Akane asked the assembled group. "By taking such a risk we could end up allowing ourselves to be completely wiped out."  
Akari, Ishii, Kimura, Fujita, and a few other policemen looked around at each other in uneasiness.  
"Akane," Ishii started. "We've been doing too little too often, and now, we have a chance to actually end this war. If it means Ranma gets back before something happens to him aren't you willing to do anything?"  
"That's a cheap shot Ishii!" Akane protested as she looked heatedly at the man across from her. Tears stung her eyes as images of her husband flooded her mind.  
"I'm sorry," Ishii apologized. "But I meant what I said. If we can pull this off, than it could end the war, at least from the American and Japanese end, and then it'll simply be a matter of time before China is beaten into submission."  
The assembled group nodded their heads at that, even Akane.  
"I know, it's just been a little stressful alright?" Akane said as she wiped a few tears from her eyes. Akari moved across the table and sat down next to Akane and gave her a hug.  
"Come now Akane, I know you want to do everything you can to get Ranma home, and protect your child," Akari said soothingly as she stroked the other woman's hair. Akane quickly got control of herself and gave Akari a gentle hug in thanks.  
"Okay, I'm in, but we need to decide who's going to be the one going as the reporter," Akane mentioned cautiously. She didn't want the others to think that she was looking for ways to stall their plan.  
"You will be," Kimura answered. "Akari will be the camera operator. It may not be widely known, but most female reporters will have their hair cut short, and Akari's is much too long. That leaves only you Akane."  
"Alright," Akane said. "But how are we going to take care of the guards that Shizuko is bound to have with him?"  
Fujita handled that question. "I have instructed several of my precinct officers that I know are loyal to our cause to cause a disturbance outside of the home of Prime Minister Shizuko, and once that begins, I will barge in and request that the bodyguards come and assist us. The interview will continue, upon which time you begin to hit him with the real questions."  
Kimura continued. "He's bound to become agitated once you begin to ask about the nuclear weapons and the Emperor's assassination, but you need to keep him there. Akari will then set the camera down on the stand and restrain Shizuko if he so desires to try and leave."  
"But he probably won't answer any of the questions," Akari protested. "If we can't get a correct answer out of him than the people watching will write off the questions as meaningless."  
"That's where your wrong," Ishii answered. "Just the simple mentioning of nuclear weapons is bound to get a response from him, and it will most definitely get a response out of the people watching. Unlike in most Western nations, the cold reality of what the A-Bomb did to Hiroshima and Nagasaki is fresh in a lot of this nation's minds. But the main thing will be in your presentation Akane, you need to be absolutely professional about this, and not let your emotions get the better of you."  
Akane bristled at that. "I can keep my emotions under control Ishii; my only problem will be not killing the motherfucker once were done with the interview."  
A smirk lit up Kimura's face. "Don't worry about that Akane, once the people hear what Shizuko has been up to, they're going to want him hanged."  
The assembled group chuckled lightly at that.  
"So how are we going to get Shizuko to agree to do an interview? Won't he be a little busy with losing the war and all?" Akari asked.  
"Aside from my role on Shizuko's staff, I am also head of the public relations department, so I'll just mention to him that the people are getting rather restless and they need to hear some reassurance before they can calm down and throw their support behind him once again," Kimura explained. "With whatever intelligence resides in that man's mind he should be able to deduce that he needs to first calm the people before he can get onto the much larger problems facing him. The recession hitting Japan and most other Asian nations is almost as bad as it was before World War II."  
The assembled group nodded at that. Almost all of them had been taking economic cuts in their lives, though some not as much as the others. Akane and Akari owned two multimillion companies that stretched across three countries. Ishii was a part owner as well, and Kimura was a well-paid government official. Together they had more than enough capital to see them through the hard times that the country was experiencing.  
"So this is all going to happen when?" Akane asked.  
Kimura responded. "I'm going to see Shizuko the day after tomorrow, as that was the earliest time I could get an appointment for. I'll convince him to meet with a reporter, and we'll set that up as soon as he has some free time, most likely next week or so."  
"But don't push the issue too hard, if he suspects anything, he'll likely call it off and we'll lose our chance, and have to wait an indefinite amount of time before we get another opportunity," Ishii added.  
Kimura nodded. "I will make sure to come across neither too eager nor too dismissive my friends. I have had a lot of experience trying to get politicians to bend to public will."  
"Care to elaborate?" Akane said.  
A sly grin spread across Kimura's face. "In good time my friends, in good time."  
  
===============  
  
Pain.  
That was all Ryoga could feel in his body when he first became aware that he was awake. It wasn't centered either, all over his body the intense ache of pain echoed down his legs, across his abdomen and chest, and through his head. He wanted to cry out in pain but his jaw wasn't working, as it seemed to be stuck closed.  
It was a moment before he remembered to open his eyes, and when he did, he was somewhat relieved to see that he was inside. The problem was that very bright lights were on in wherever he was and he could barely focus his eyes without pain skirting through his head.  
There was a feeling that he was forgetting something important, something that he should be doing, but it escaped him. Although he didn't realize, he had been given very heavy medication; of course, it did little to take away the massive pain that was echoing throughout his body.  
"Mr. Hibiki?" a soft voice asked from somewhere beside Ryoga.  
Casting a glance to the right, Ryoga was startled to discover that he couldn't move his head. And with his jaw locked in place, he couldn't say anything. Luckily for him, whoever was beside him had seen that he was trying to communicate.  
"Don't bother trying to talk Mr. Hibiki; you took a rather nasty fall back there. Your jaw has been broken, as well as most of the other bones in your body. From the medical exam you were given when you came in the other night, we've been able to diagnose you with prolonged malnutrition, one of the worst cases I've ever seen. Not to worry though, with a little rest, and some food to pump into you, you could be as good as new by the next month or so."  
The voice seemed distant, and it was hard for Ryoga to distinguish if the person was a male or female. In the back of his mind, something told him that the person was speaking English, which was odd, because he was in China. Wasn't he?  
  
===============  
  
President Winnfield leaned back in his chair and let out a low groan as he rubbed his eyes from underneath his glasses. For the past twelve hours he'd been waiting for word on the rescue operation in China, but communications problems had stricken the teams on the ground and they were unable to call in for evacuation to the Navy ships sitting beside Taiwan. In the end, President Winnfield had ordered the planes to depart and go to the rendezvous and see if the teams were there, if not, then they would go again the next day.  
A second attempt would increase the risks incredibly, but Winnfield had to order it. Getting the American POW's out, as well as the Japanese, would be an incredible boost in moral for the coalition, not to mention make the Chinese understand that they weren't invulnerable at home. Every day that this war continued, more and more soldiers were being sent home in body bags, something the American people despised more than the fact that they were fighting two wars at the same time.  
Sadly, even though victory would occur both in Siberia and in Afghanistan, the American military would be put to war once again in Iraq, that is, if the leaders of that country weren't willing to run.  
The President was stopped from his brooding when his aide burst through the doors of the Oval Office and was trailed by a few Secret Service.  
"Mr. President, we've got them," the aide announced happily, if a little out of breath. "General Parker called in and says that everybody got out."  
"Casualties," Winnfield asked automatically.  
The proud look on the aide's face melted to one of sadness. "Fourteen dead, 7 Americans, 6 Russians, one Japanese, and 3 wounded. Only three bodies were recovered, and that includes the Japanese soldier sir."  
Winnfield's face took on a look of horror. "How did so many of them die?"  
"The intelligence wasn't completely correct sir," the aide said shamefully. "The soldier barracks had two communications outposts, as well as mortars. If it weren't for a few brave soldiers that sacrificed their lives, then the whole team would have been wiped out. The attack on the prison camp itself went better than we could imagine."  
"How so?" Winnfield asked.  
"When the soldiers arrived, aside from having to take out a few guards that remained on the top level, the prisoners were already free. It seems some of the Japanese soldiers were attempting to break out. Parker said that even if they hadn't arrived, the escape would've gone through."  
"Amazing," Winnfield breathed. "And after that everyone got away?"  
"No sir," the aide answered. "Back at the barracks, the second communications room sent out a dispatch for help, and then received one from the prison when the prisoners started to escape. They sent a truckload of soldiers over and they arrived just as the second team was loading the POW's onto trucks to cart them away. The trucks got away, but General Parker and three Japanese soldiers who were trying to escape in a jeep, got hit by a rocket-propelled grenade of some kind. Before any more damage could be done, the first team arrived and killed the soldiers in the truck and found Parker and the others. Aside from some slight spinal bruising, General Parker is alright, but one of the Japanese soldiers died before they were picked up. The two other soldiers are alright, though one of them looks like he's been there for as long as the other American POW's."  
Something clicked in Winnfield's mind. "You mean that CIA report last year, the one detailing how the American POW's were still alive, and recent reports said that an Asian man was among them."  
"Yes sir, it would seem that the report was true," the aide said.  
"Well I'll be damned," Winnfield said. "But he's okay now right?"  
The aide nodded. "With some care and proper nutrition, he'll be back to normal, at least physically, in a few months."  
The President raised his eyebrows, obviously waiting for the aide to continue.  
"The POW's experienced some very horrible conditions Mr. President, and they endured it for four years. It's unrealistic to believe that they wouldn't be affected mentally."  
"True," Winnfield nodded, "I've seen some of the things that POW's suffer from in their latter years. I suppose most of those POW's are going to need psychiatric help."  
"Yes sir," the aide agreed. "We've lined up a few Japanese speaking one's that we hope will be able to talk to the Japanese soldiers."  
"Good idea, were not returning those soldiers to Japan until Shizuko backs down and opens up to where he has his nuclear weapons."  
The aide nodded but said nothing. It wasn't his place to administer advice to the President, that was the NSA's job, or maybe a member of the Joint Chief's of Staff. "Thank you," the President said, both sincerely and as a dismissal. The aide took the hint and left the President, bringing the Secret Service agents out with him, and closing the doors.  
Winnfield placed his glasses back on his head and sighed; a gentle smile crossed his face. 'At least something's going right'.  
  
===============  
  
As Ryoga awoke once more, he quickly realized that he no longer was strapped down in whatever he had been before. He realized this because, when he awoke, he was falling out of his bed and onto the floor. Instinct saved him from a rather nasty fall, and Ryoga allowed himself to protect himself by letting his hands take the brunt of the fall. Pain was transferred though his body and blackness swam in his eyes as he fought to stay conscious. Slowly, afraid that any sudden movements might cause further pain, Ryoga maneuvered himself back into his bed and lay there, gasping for breath. Taking the time to collect his bearings, Ryoga spared a glance at the room he was in, realizing that he was inside what appeared to be a hospital room. Of course, the drab gray color, and the fact that there were no windows confused him, but the room gave off the feeling that he was inside a hospital.  
Before he could examine his physical condition, someone appeared in the doorway. Recognition did not immediately set in, so Ryoga decided to study the man's features. Powerful, was the first thought that came to Ryoga's mind as he looked over the man's physique. As his eyes continued along his body Ryoga noticed that he was wearing a rather torn field jacket, something you expected to see on a soldier.  
It was at that moment that the memories of the past few days came flooding into Ryoga's mind. Ranma arriving in his cell, the breakout, Phil and the other soldiers rescuing them, the scramble to the jeep, and finally, the impact that tossed them all from the jeep and into the heavy brush. Everything after that was hazy, and Ryoga could not recall a single thing after that moment.  
"Ryoga?" a quiet voice asked, and Ryoga remembered the man that was standing in the doorway. Taking a closer look at his face, Ryoga realized who the person was.  
"Ranma," Ryoga said quietly. "You're alright."  
Ranma nodded. "Yeah, apparently a jeep rolled over me," he said with some humor. "But the docs don't know me that well, they thought I'd be dead by now."  
A smile crossed his lips. "It's good to see you Ranma," Ryoga said. "I can't tell you just how much it means to me that you saved me. A lot of the other guys in there, they went crazy because they gave up hope, but I didn't I wouldn't allow myself to give up, somewhere deep inside I knew that someone would come rescue me. I guess I did always presume it would be you."  
"Best friends don't give up on each other," Ranma said with tears appearing in his eyes. "Your one stubborn sonofabitch Ryoga, even when the whole world expects you to be dead, you show them up by walking out of the valley of the dead."  
"Though I walk through the valley of the dead, I fear no evil, for you are with me," Ryoga quoted as he smiled at Ranma. "It's my memories that keep me alive. Thinking of everything that was back in Japan, I couldn't let myself succumb to defeat."  
Ranma walked up to the bed and sat down in a nearby chair; he leaned over and rubbed the large mass of hair on Ryoga's head.  
"Well, I'm glad you didn't you jerk, as soon as your all better, and this war's taken care of, we'll go back home and you'll get to see everyone again."  
A ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Ryoga's mouth as he thought of Akari.  
Ranma fidgeted in his seat and Ryoga's gaze shifted towards him. It was then that he noticed Ranma had a cast over his right arm, and that he seemed to be in some kind of pain.  
"Are you alright Ranma?" Ryoga asked, his eyes narrowing in concern.  
Ranma waved it off, as he wiped at the sweat that was collecting on his forehead. "I'm fine buddy, just a little uncomfortable that's all."  
Before Ryoga had a moment to respond to Ranma, the pig-tailed man suddenly convulsed and fell forward, his body spilling out of the chair and onto the floor. Ryoga quickly shifted so he could see and saw that Ranma's eyes were open, but his pupils had rolled to the back of his head.  
"Doctor!" Ryoga called as loud as he could. It took only a moment before a man in dress greens came running into the room. He took one look at Ranma and stepped back outside the room and called for assistance. Finished with that, he came slowly back in the room and checked Ranma's pulse.  
"He's alright," the doctor said in English. "We had him under twenty- four hour watch because he wanted to come check up on you, but he's been far too weak to do that. He must have snuck away somehow."  
Ryoga, shocked that Ranma was actually hurt, failed to respond when the doctor asked him how he was feeling. Medical orderlies and nurses piled into the room with a trolley and placed Ranma on it. As they were carting him out Ryoga saw the lines of worry and concern etched over Ranma's face. He had been fighting a war for almost half a year, seeing death and destruction on a scale Ryoga could barely imagine, but instead of getting the rest and recovery that he needed he had come to check on Ryoga.  
'Ranma' Ryoga thought softly.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Late again. I just can't seem to let this story end can I? Oh well, the longer I take to finish it, the more my reader's have to read. 


	29. Until the End Chapter 28

Until the End  
Chapter 28  
Taking it to the Streets  
  
"Everything needs to go off like clockwork tonight Akane," Ishii reminded as he finished checking the video equipment. One camera would be going into Prime Minister Shizuko's house, and the one thing that could not happen was to have the camera not work when the interview started.  
"I know," Akane said as she adjusted her skirt. Wearing a simple blouse and skirt combo had allowed Akane to keep the premise of being a reporter, but would also provide her with enough maneuverability to fight if the situation arose. Of course, fighting was the last thing that needed to happen tonight.  
Akari moved towards the van that they would be using to travel to Shizuko's estate and opened the sliding panel door. She stepped inside and slid it shut.  
"Make me proud," Ishii said with a smile and gave Akane a quick kiss on the cheek.  
Akane merely smiled back confidently and walked to the driver's side door and got inside. She started the van and pulled away from the Dojo and down the street.  
Ishii watched them go until they were out of view and then he turned to Kimura, who was standing just inside the Dojo.  
"I've got a bad feeling about this Isamu," Ishii stated as he moved up the steps and into the Dojo. Kimura followed after him and they both took seats along the wall. Ishii reached into his pants pocket and extracted his cell phone. "With one call we dedicate ourselves to this. It will either lead to our freedom, or our downfall."  
Kimura looked at the phone and then spoke. "You have the power to call it off Ishii, if you really think this will end badly."  
Ishii's eyes turned to frustration. "But that would delay things and we may never get a chance like this ever again. I don't want to have to explain to the world that I delayed an action that could have saved lives."  
"You must look into your soul and decide what it tells you," Kimura explained. "Only then can you be sure that what you have decided is the one thing you meant to do."  
Kimura's words echoed inside of Ishii's mind as he held the cellular phone in his hand. A silence ensued as he pondered what to do. Finally, Ishii flipped the phone open and hit a speed-dial button.  
"Do it."  
  
===============  
  
Fujita looked at his wristwatch for the hundredth time that minute. It was just after six in the afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set. The girls were due at Shizuko's quarters in thirty seconds.  
He was spared further apprehension when he saw the dark olive-colored van turn down the street and start towards the house. Fujita released the breath he had been unaware that he had been holding in.  
The van slowed as he stepped out in the front driveway and held his hand up, traffic-policeman wise. The driver's side window was rolled down and Fujita stepped over and peered inside.  
"Identification please," he ordered in his gruff voice. Akane flashed him the press badge that they had gotten from the Nippon Station Tokyo; Fujita nodded his head and motioned for the other police officers to allow the van through.  
"Were counting on you," Fujita said quietly as he stepped back from the van.  
Akane didn't reply and instead drove up the driveway towards Shizuko's house. The house loomed in front of them, growing larger as they approached.  
As she pulled to a stop, Akane looked beside her where Akari was seated.  
"No matter what happens I want you to know that I love you," Akane said as she took Akari's hand in her own.  
Akari's eyes met hers and she smiled. "Same here."  
As the sky slowly changed to dusk, Akane and Akari extracted the equipment from the van and stepped up the long path towards Shizuko's home. Two guards opened the doors after checking their identification and allowed them to pass. Prime Minister Shizuko was waiting for them just inside.  
"Welcome to my home," he greeted. He was wearing a simple kimono that appeared to be worth more than all their video equipment combined.  
"It is our honor sir," Akane replied as she and Akari bowed low. Shizuko returned their bow and walked them into his house. He walked down a few hallways before stepping through a door and onto a veranda. The veranda provided a nice view of the city while being far enough away to drown out the sounds of the city.  
"I understand this will be going out live?" Shizuko asked as he took a seat.  
"That is correct sir," Akane said. "An agreement has been struck with most stations to allow this broadcast to go out across all the sets of Japan." What Akane failed to mention was the fact that Ishii and Kimura had enlisted the help of the tech wizards at the information industry to put the interview on the World Wide Web as well, so everyone in the world would be able to see it, live.  
"Were ready to go," Akari said as she finished giving the equipment an once-over.  
"Alright," Akane said putting her best smile across her face. "Let's begin."  
  
===============  
  
"They're starting," Ishii announced as he sped through the streets of downtown Tokyo. Kimura nodded his head absently from the opposite seat. "Make sure that everyone else is ready."  
The plan called for Akane and Akari to interview Shizuko for ten minutes asking simple questions about his policies and ideas about the war. Once the ten minute mark was reached, three hundred police officers in civilian clothing were to march up the street leading to Shizuko's home and begin to create havoc. The officers on duty were to be overwhelmed, and then Shizuko's bodyguards would be called upon. Once Shizuko was alone with the two women, then the real interview would start.  
Of course, if the plan did not work out correctly, Akane and Akari would attempt to simply carry out the interview as best they could, without arising any suspicions.  
Kimura made the calls to the other and received status checks in return. Everyone was in position, and were awaiting the signal to begin. With authorization from Ishii, Kimura gave the order to move onto the next level of the mission.  
"It's begun," Kimura said as he snapped his phone shut.  
Ishii nodded his head but chose not to respond, his focus instead on navigating through the streets and arriving at their destination on time.  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga opened his eyes slowly. Despite his interaction with the doctors and medical personnel, he still found himself waking in a dazed stupor as he took in his surroundings. The cold granite cell that had been his home for four years was replaced with a drab white room containing a separate room with a washroom. The motion was always jarring, but Ryoga still found it necessary to get out of his bed and feel the walls, allowing him to believe that he was actually out of that hellhole.  
Not since the first time he awoke had Ryoga seen Ranma, and it troubled the fanged-martial artist greatly, as he had appeared in very rough condition before the doctors had carted him off.  
He stopped his slow walk in the room and closed his eyes. He was free, away from the terror and pain that his life had been the previous four years. Ranma had come for him, just like he had prayed for in his mind, but never actually believed. His best friend, and his savior, Ranma had done the impossible, which seemed to be the story of his life. Ryoga owed him more than he could fathom, but he knew the pigtailed-martial artist would wave it off as nothing.  
His thoughts were interrupted as a medical orderly opened the door to his room carrying a tray containing some food.  
"Ah Mr. Hibiki, you shouldn't be up," she said in Japanese.  
"May I ask what room Ranma Saotome is in?" Ryoga asked. "I would like to pay him a visit."  
"Mr. Saotome is currently resting," she replied. "He had some trouble getting to sleep so we had to put him under."  
"It doesn't matter, I would still like to just get a look at him," Ryoga insisted.  
The girl looked slightly uneasy about the situation but she relented as she saw the sad expression on Ryoga's face. The story of the POW's and the Japanese soldiers had circulated through the ship through the past few days. The story of this patient and his friend were usually the number one thing everyone talked about.  
"If you'll wait I'll get you a wheelchair," she said. "And no arguing or I won't take you at all."  
  
===============  
  
The trip was relatively short, as it seemed all the people rescued had been placed in the same area on the ship. Ranma's room was about twelve doors down from Ryoga's, and Ryoga asked the nurse if the wheelchair had truly been necessary.  
"You are at a very dangerous health at the moment Mr. Hibiki, unless you want to add a few broken bones to the list which will occur if you trip and fall, then I'd suggest you take our policies a little seriously."  
Ryoga thanked her and told her he would give her a call if he needed her.  
"Alright, I'll be right outside if you need me," she said and closed the door after him.  
Ranma was not in good shape. That was the first thought that appeared in Ryoga's mind as he gazed upon the man lying on the bed in the room. His clothing had been cut away, except for a few portions that covered his genitals and were necessary to provide some warmth. Large purpling bruises covered most of his chest, arms, and legs. His left leg was in a cast, as was his right arm. A good sign was that a breathing tube was not inserted into Ranma's mouth, meaning he at last didn't have too many internal injuries.  
Ryoga pulled a chair from the wall and half-carried, half-dragged it to the bed. It was much heavier than he anticipated. He plopped down onto it, exhausted from his task. A part of his mind was asking why such a menial task was capable of rendering him tired. He lamented on that fact.  
'I could turn boulders into pebbles with but a punch' he said to himself. 'Have I fallen so far?'  
As Ranma stirred lightly Ryoga tossed the thought aside. It wasn't really important right now anyways. He shifted his chair closer so he was able to rest some of his body on Ranma's bed.  
For the first time, Ryoga noticed that a television was in the room, and it was turned on. The volume was muted, but Ryoga could see that it was a Japanese channel.  
'We must be pretty close to Japan for them to get the signal,' Ryoga mused. He became interested in the show as it seemed they were interviewing the Japanese Prime Minister. Ryoga hadn't been involved much in Japanese politics, but he did recall that it was Prime Minister Shizuko that was in power now.  
The flashy news person said something and the picture changed to a nice setting of a home just in the more residential sector of Tokyo. The Prime Minister was on camera and he was smiling into the camera. As he began to speak Ryoga decided to listen in. He reached for a remote that had been placed on the small table by Ranma's bed.  
"-es, I am afraid that we must now double our war effort, as our previous Allies, the Chinese, have turned their backs on the Japanese people. We will split our war efforts on two fronts and attack both China and Russia."  
"Both China and Russia?" Ryoga asked in surprise. 'Was the man insane?' Whoever was interviewing him asked another question.  
"Wouldn't you agree that a war on two fronts is not a good strategy to win a war?" the person off-camera asked. The voice sounded very familiar to Ryoga.  
"I admit that it will be hard, but the Japanese people will persevere. We have been blessed with a spirited fighting force, and citizens that understand the necessity of this war."  
Before the reporter could respond, a commotion began off screen and someone leaned down to whisper something into Shizuko's ear. A cross look crossed his face and he barked out angrily, "Then go deal with them!"  
Both parties waited until the sound of someone closing a door sounded before resuming.  
"I apologize for the interruption," Shizuko said to the reporter who was now included in the shot. She was very pretty, and wore her dark bluish hair short.  
Ryoga thought his heart would stop. Akane! The thought screamed through his mind and he fell off his chair. What the hell was Akane doing interviewing the Prime Minister?  
"It's quite all right sir," Akane replied coolly. "If you would like, we could continue this interview some other time."  
"No, no," Shizuko responded shaking his head. "Its all right, everything is under control."  
Akane nodded her head and consulted a paper sitting in front of her.  
"As I was asking before, do you truly believe that Japan should continue its war and Russia, especially if it means becoming involved in a war against China?"  
The Prime Minister seemed somewhat shocked by the question and it took him a moment to answer.  
"We are already in a war with China, as they were the one's to initiate the actions that led me to make the declaration," Shizuko answered evenly. "We must continue this war, as it is one of the few ways we can hope to recover from this economic slump we are in."  
"So you admit that this war has economic ties in it?" Akane interjected.  
"Of course," Shizuko answered, anticipating the question. "What war doesn't? But the difference is that we are justified in what we are doing. The Siberian people have been neglected by their government for far too long, and we have set it upon ourselves to liberate them."  
Akane gazed at the Prime Minister for a long moment. As the Prime Minister squirmed slightly, Ryoga smirked. He knew what it felt like to be at the receiving end of one of Akane's glares, especially when she was angry.  
"I must admit Mr. Prime Minister, until you made your declaration those few months ago, I had never really heard of any plea from the Siberian people to liberate them, in fact, I had never heard of them being mistreated in recent history."  
Shizuko affected a frightened look for a moment, but it faded quickly.  
"The Siberian people may not have voiced a public cry of help, but through meetings and polls we were able to discern that they wanted to separate from the Russian government," Shizuko said.  
Akane nodded her head slightly and Shizuko released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. The gaze with which she had scrutinized him under had been so intense he had nearly broken into a sweat.  
"Mr. Prime Minister I would like to ask you on the progress of the police and ministry on the investigation into the Emperor's assassination," Akane intoned lightly.  
Shizuko immediately donned a saddened expression.  
"Sadly, we have been unable to find out who was behind such a terrible act," Shizuko said gravely.  
'The Emperor was assassinated?' Ryoga thought to himself in private shock.  
"And how would you respond to the revelation that it was the government who had ordered the Emperor's assassination?" Akane asked. The question seemed to carry an air of anger and emotion from the woman and Ryoga realized that it was intended to carry a message to the viewers.  
"I have the utmost respect in my cabinet and believe that there is absolutely no one that would be so heinous as to have ordered the assassination of the Emperor," Shizuko said, his voice carrying an underlying tone of reproach.  
Ryoga could tell the Prime Minister was getting upset at Akane's questions. He wondered slightly why Akane was doing her best to browbeat the Prime Minister. So enthralled he was with the television that he did not notice Ranma stirring.  
"I was not accusing your cabinet of ordering the assassination Mr. Prime Minister, I was accusing you," Akane said in a voice that made Ryoga shiver.  
Shizuko paled. "W-what are you implying?"  
"Emperor Rimiru was not assassinated on some whim from an extremist group Shizuko," Akane said in a deathly cold voice, "He was assassinated on your orders."  
"You are mad," Shizuko accused as he got to his feet. "Remove yourselves from here."  
"This interview is not over," Akane said and turned to the camera. "Hold him!"  
Someone moved from behind the camera and grabbed Shizuko, forcing him into the chair. Long chestnut brown hair fell over the person's shoulders, but if you looked closely, the sight of a few pink streaks was seen.  
Ryoga was floored once again, but this time, tears formed in his eyes and fell down his face.  
"Akari," he croaked out as he felt his stomach tighten and his whole body tense. The woman he loved with all his heart, and one whose memory kept him alive through four long years of torture had just appeared on the screen and the shock was enough for Ryoga to consider closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep.  
"What the hell?" a voice intoned behind Ryoga. Ranma had awakened from his drug-induced slumber and was looking at the television with a look of sheer confusion.  
In spite of the two, the interview continued on the television.  
"Shizuko, you have led this country down a path of destruction, and the only outcome of your war can be the destruction of this country."  
"I have done nothing wrong!" Shizuko objected.  
"You assassinated our Emperor, a man who you believed to stand between you and your goal of joining the Chinese against Russia, and have secretly built nuclear weapons that you threatened to use against the United States and Russia, and now China. The United States and Russia both still have enough arms to destroy us ten times over, but you have threatened them."  
At the mention of nuclear arms, Shizuko paled and his eyes widened immensely, leaving everyone watching with the knowledge that it was true, beyond a doubt.  
"Nuclear Arms?" Ryoga questioned, his previous shock of seeing Akari had been swept away. He turned and looked at Ranma, who was now wide awake.  
"Are they who I think they are?" Ranma asked as Akari forced the Prime Minister back into the chair again and gripped his shoulders tightly, not allowing him to move.  
Ryoga nodded. "When did Akari and Akane become reporters?"  
Ranma affected a confused look. "The hell should I know, but right now the two of them are manhandling the Prime Minister."  
Back on the screen, Akari had finally managed to secure the Prime Minister in a submissive hold. Akane was now standing in front of Shizuko with a look of hate and loathing.  
"Shizuko, no matter what you may think, the people of this country will now allow you to continue your tyranny any longer. As you said, we are a people of strong ideals and we will not allow ourselves to be beaten by any enemy," Akane's voice was dangerously cold. "You have sent our husbands, our fathers, our brothers, to an early grave, and still you continue this madness. This war is over, at least for Japan, and nothing you can do will let it continue. The nuclear weapons that you have built behind the backs of your citizens are about to be dismantled, and the United States will be invited back into the country."  
Shizuko squirmed to no effect. Akari's hold kept him from moving. He looked up in desperation at Akane and realized that every word she had spoken was true.  
"I have done nothing wrong," he countered weakly. "I led this country the way any great leader would have, and the men that died fighting for this country died fighting for the greater good."  
Before Shizuko could continue, Akane shifted to have her face mere inches from Shizuko's face. Rage was written clearly across all of her facial features.  
"The men of this country died for little more than your own greed you spineless dog!" Akane's voice carried loudly. "You deserve to face a thousand deaths for every man that was killed in your pointless war!"  
Her words were punctuated with punches and kicks to Shizuko's body. Her fists were a blur that the camera could not pick up. Akari had released Shizuko and now watched in astonishment as Akane picked him out of the chair and held him by the throat, his feet no longer touching the ground.  
Akane's eyes burned with ferocity, and her face was twisted with rage. Shizuko hung limply, ascended in the air by her arm. With a feral snort Akane dropped him on the ground as he choked and wheezed for breath.  
"Go get Fujita," Akane said softly to Akari. Akari wavered for a moment before exiting. Akane looked at Shizuko for a moment before walking over to the camera and bending down in front of it. She looked at it for a moment before reaching up and switching it off. The picture went blank.  
Ranma and Ryoga gazed at the television for a moment before turning to look at each other. The same thought occupied both their minds.  
'What the hell was going on back in Japan?'  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Yes, yes, I know, this chapter took far too long to come out, especially considering it isn't very long. First things first, my excuses. I was struck down with a terrible flu for two whole weeks, and I had so little energy that I was incapable of dragging myself to my computer. Next, I had to fly to Saudi Arabia the past week to have a little R and R with my husband, who was taking some time off in Iraq. All these factors made the story fall onto the backburner.  
But that will definitely change now that I'm healed. Plus, I'm somewhat energized by the fact that this story is going to be finished soon, and I'll be free from the nuances of writing.  
Don't let that get you worried, I love writing, especially this story, it's just that it can get very aggravating after awhile. 


	30. Until the End Chapter 29

Until the End  
Chapter 29  
Emotion  
  
Brigadier General Phillip Sheridan Parker IV stood solemnly in front of the desk of the President of the United States. He was in his dress green uniform and carried his cap underneath his right arm, his left arm lifted in a salute. President Winnfield returned the gesture and motioned Parker into a chair. Parker complied and took a seat.  
"I trust your wounds have had time to heal?" President Winnfield asked.  
At the mention of his wounds, Parker immediately had a clear image of the jagged twisted metal that doctors had removed from his lower back only days ago. It had damaged his spine, but he had been lucky, the temporary loss of control over his legs had been regained, and the damage was slowly being repaired.  
"I'm feeling quite well sir," Parker replied. "The doctors were very good."  
The President nodded. "That's good, for I feel I have many things I wish to explain to you General." He made eye contact with Parker. "A matter has arisen that we feel must be dealt with most quickly. We now have possession of fifty-seven Japanese POW's, and the State department wants us to turn them back over to the Japanese as a sign of good faith."  
Parker felt a cold sweat break out along his body. 'Give Ranma and Ryoga back to the Japanese, like hell!'  
"I don't believe I am qualified to offer an opinion on this matter Mr. President," Parker said carefully. Seeing the dull look he received from the President, he continued. "But in my opinion, giving the POW's back to Japan would only serve to cause more problems than it would solve."  
"Explain," the President said simply.  
Parker froze for a moment as he tried to think of a way to form his words.  
"I believe the Prime Minister of Japan to be insane sir."  
The words had left his mouth before he could seriously consider what it was that he was saying, and a hand flew up to his mouth. Instead of an angry look he expected, a smile lit up President Winnfield's face.  
"Now that is an answer I can seriously consider General," he said with a laugh. "Prime Minister Shizuko is most assuredly without his mental capabilities, we've already discerned that. But that is of little consequence now, since he is no longer in power."  
"He isn't?" Parker asked, shocked. 'Had Ishii already acted?'  
The President shook his head. "Twelve hours ago, we received a call from the office of the Prime Minister, explaining that the government of Japan would welcome the United Stated back with open arms."  
"May I ask who made the call?" Parker asked urgently.  
"A man by the name of Isamu Kimura," the President offered. "Our information apparently had him labeled as a simple Public Relations Minister; it would appear we were very wrong."  
"What happened to Shizuko?"  
"He is currently under arrest for treason, along with a long list of other charges, which include murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and forging government documents. Needless to say, he's going to be put away for a long time. I suppose you remember when the Japanese Emperor was assassinated?" Parker nodded. "Well, the assassination was ordered by Shizuko, with the agreement from the rest of his government. At the moment there is a very large investigation going on in Japan by the few remaining Japanese government officials in order to purge the government of all those involved. The war with Japan is now over."  
Parker felt all his breath leave his body as he slumped down in the chair and heaved a large sigh.  
"How have the Japanese people taken the news?" Parker asked.  
"Well, apparently," the President said. "Some of my aides believed a few riots would break out, but that has yet to occur. The police have been keeping order, and the people seem to welcome the removal of Shizuko, especially considering that it means an end to Japan's role in the war."  
"How did the public learn of Shizuko's removal?" Parker questioned. Winnfield's smile grew larger.  
"It seems that this Kimura fellow tricked Shizuko into believing that he needed to be interviewed by a news agency to help quell the feeling that Japan was losing the war, and he agreed. During the interview, the police staged a riot outside Shizuko's residence, and his bodyguards went to intervene, leaving him alone with the interviewers. At that point, they began to question him on his war policy, as well as the assassination of the Emperor. Shizuko is not a good liar, and apparently the people saw right through him. But that didn't even begin to mount up to when the interviewer asked him about the nuclear weapons he'd secretly developed."  
"Nuclear weapons?" Parker asked in horror.  
"Yes," President Winnfield nodded gravely. "We discovered the fact shortly before the war, and tried to get Shizuko to dismantle them. It didn't work, but now it doesn't matter, as this Kimura fellow has asked us to send in a nuke team to dismantle them."  
"So does this mean were going to return all the troops in Siberia? Or does Russia not want to return them?"  
"Russia has agreed to send all the Japanese soldiers captured in Siberia back to Japan, in exchange for a signed treaty. I informed Mr. Kimura of the fact, and he had no problem with it."  
"Then its over," Parker said excitedly.  
The President raised his hand to quell Parker's elation. "Not exactly General. At oh-five hundred hours this morning Chinese tank and air regiments were reinforced and are now attempting a second push into Siberia. With the current forces available in Russia, the defensive positions will not survive. The Chinese are going to run right through what we have left, and there are no additional troops capable of being sent."  
Parker cursed himself for his stupidity. The Chinese weren't going to give up their war simply because Japan was now withdrawing from the war.  
'Japan.' thought Parker as something clicked in his mind.  
"The Japanese POW's," Parker said to the President.  
"I beg your pardon?"  
"The POW's in Siberia, at last count our forces had captured almost fifty-thousand troops and tanks in the Battle of Alden. Now that Japan isn't under Shizuko's heel, we can get them to help us in Siberia."  
The President looked in surprise as Phil explained the extent on which they would be able to repulse the Chinese thrust into Siberia.  
"But would the Japanese support this?" President Winnfield asked. "They just now got out of the war, how are they going to respond when we ask them to head right back into it?"  
"While they may not have wanted to get involved in this war, Japan has a responsibility for what their country helped start. Kimura may not want to tell his people that they're needed to fight the same war, only this time on the other side, but he must. It's the only way we can keep Siberia out of Chinese hands."  
The President stared down at his desk for a moment, considering what Parker was proposing. It was an amazing idea, especially when considering that Japan had fought alongside the Chinese not even a month ago. The only question remaining was, would Japan agree.  
"Alright," Winnfield said. "I need to talk to Kimura, and find out just how much control he has over the country, because I'm sure there's going to be hell to pay when the Japanese people find out."  
  
===============  
  
Akane, followed by Akari, walked down the corridor and into the office of the Prime Minister. The room wasn't that large, and it seemed even less when there were nearly thirty police officers searching through the room. The investigation into the Emperor's assassination had sprung one of the biggest detainments in Japan's history. Already one hundred and seventy government officials had been arrested and more were being hunted down every day. Surprisingly, the Japanese people had welcomed the arresting of the government, and were praising Kimura for his diplomatic appeals to the United States and Russia.  
Kimura was being heralded as the savior of Japan, or at least that's what the newspapers were calling him. He had been less than amused when he realized that he was being made out to look like a national hero.  
Ishii spotted Akane and Akari come in and walked over to greet them.  
"Well, if it isn't my two lovely stars," he said with a grin. "And what brings you two here?"  
"We were just wondering if we could speak to Kimura," Akari said.  
Ishii laughed. "Get in line, the poor bastard has had nearly non-stop meetings with news agencies and government offices for the past twenty-four hours. I doubt he's even gotten any sleep."  
"Has it really been that bad?" Akane asked, slightly surprised. "I didn't even think Kimura wanted to be made out as the leader of Japan now."  
"He doesn't" Ishii responded. "The problem is, now that the public has made their decision that he's a national hero, they want him to be the new leader of the country."  
"The Prime Minister?" Akane and Akari cried.  
Ishii nodded gravely. "He got suckered into it. If he hadn't been the first one to address the media then I think he would've been okay, but not now. Now that I think of it, you two are also being made into heroes as well."  
Akane and Akari both looked shocked. Ishii laughed at the look on their faces.  
"Don't worry, nobody wants you two to become government officials too, but the media is showing you guys off. There were a couple articles this morning exposing who both of you are, I'm surprised you haven't been swamped by the media yet."  
"We didn't go back to the Dojo last night," Akane answered. "Nodoka asked us to spend the night with the kids, and we could only happily comply."  
"And how are the two little tykes doing?" Ishii asked.  
"Alright, though both are wondering why we were on television the other day, and why I beat up a man that was the leader of the country," Akane said with a contented smile.  
Ishii shook his head ruefully. "I'm wondering about that last part too Akane, the bastard may have deserved it, but hell, he's lucky to be alive right now."  
Akane's look of content was replaced momentarily with one of anger. "If he had died by my hand then it was because I was simply carrying out the hand of justice that failed to catch him before he was able to do everyone so much harm."  
"No one person can determine the law Akane. Shizuko may deserve to have his life ended, but not without a fair trial and conviction. As it is, no one's putting the death penalty on the board anyways. Right now Shizuko has realized the error that he made, and wants to commit suicide, but there's no way were going to let him do that, so we've got him under suicide watch. He's going to spend the rest of his natural life rotting in prison, and that's good enough for me."  
The angry look deflated and Akane looked ashamed. "I really hadn't intended to attack him Ishii, I just got carried away."  
Ishii smiled. "I understand Akane-chan, but as Ranma is found of saying, let's try and keep that tomboyish temper to a minimum."  
Before Akane had the chance to respond to Ishii's slight, Kimura walked into the room, looking very exhausted.  
"Speaking of Ranma, I just got a call from the President of the United States," he announced.  
The others looked confused. "And what does President Winnfield have to do with Ranma?" Ishii asked.  
Kimura smiled a mischievous smile and responded. "It seems a General Phillip Parker met Ranma a few times on the battlefield."  
Akane nearly feinted. For the past five months she hadn't had a single word on Ranma.  
Kimura saw the look on Akane's face and set a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  
"He's alive Akane, seems he ran afoul of some Chinese troops and was sent to a prison camp," Kimura explained.  
Tears filled Akane's eyes and she received a comforting hug from Akari, who in turn was crying as well. Kimura and Ishii exchanged knowing looks and they both gave each other a hug.  
Once the two were finished, Kimura continued.  
"As I'm sure you know, Ranma Saotome is not one to remain captive to anyone, and shortly after being incarcerated, he attempted an escape." Everyone had a good chuckle at that. "Luckily for him, it seems the United States and Russia found out about the prison camp, and decided to spring the Japanese soldiers before the Chinese could execute them, and they took out a nearby troop barracks. In the ensuing escape, Ranma and Parker were both wounded seriously, but a Navy copter picked them up and put Ranma and the other Japanese POW's on a hospital ship."  
Akane released a long breath. "Well, at least the idiot is okay."  
Kimura smiled and turned to Akari. "The President said there was another message from Phil. Something to do with picking up some excess baggage. He couldn't go into specifics because I needed to get to a press conference but he said that Phil said you would know what he was talking about."  
Akari was unable to respond to Kimura, as she had feinted. Akane caught her numbly and stared at Kimura.  
"D-did the President explain where the prison camp was?" she asked.  
"Somewhere near Beijing I believe," Kimura said. "What's wrong with Akari?"  
Tears once again found their way to Akane's face and she grasped the unconscious Akari into an embrace. Kimura turned to look at Ishii, who was standing in stunned silence. He didn't respond to Kimura's questions.  
"Well," Kimura said, confused. "Glad I could be of help." With that he walked out of the room and down the hallway, wondering just what was so special about picking up some excess baggage.  
  
===============  
  
Gogol looked crossly over the ridge as the Chinese forces slowly advanced through the thick snow. Russian defensive positions had been falling one after another for the past week, and the Chinese were almost upon Alden again, which was where they had received such a brutal beating a month ago. Despite the amazing effort that had been put forth by the Americans and Russians, the Chinese forces were too vast in numbers, and superior fighting ability wouldn't make a difference when you were outnumbered ten to one.  
Slipping underneath cover, Gogol cautiously made his way back to the jeep he had left running just outside the field of vision of the Chinese forces.  
'I wish General Parker were still here,' Gogol thought to himself as he pulled down the unbeaten path and started the tough job of navigating through the thick forestry that occupied Siberia.  
Thinking of Parker made his hand slowly come up to his lapels where the railroad tracks of a captain now sat. They had been pinned on him in a very short and small ceremony by a Russian Major. It would seem that he was being recognized for his roles in the Battle of Alden and the rescue operation in China. As modest as Gogol was, he was able to admit that he was a good soldier, and the new rank suited him.  
Captain Gogol had a certain ring to it he admitted. Maybe not as alluring as Major Gogol, but it would do.  
The trip back to the nearest defensive position was short, a telling sign of how close the Chinese were to overtaking one of the last defensives before they would be upon Alden again. An American Green Beret was waiting for him when he arrived, and Gogol wondered slightly as to what was wrong. The Green Berets had been a tremendous help to the Russians, but they tended to avoid speaking to higher-ranking Russians.  
Gogol approached the soldier and received a salute, which he returned. Without a word, the Green Beret handed him a slip of paper, saluted, and left. Gogol stared confusedly after the soldier, but shook it off and instead glanced down at the paper and began reading.  
The message had Parker written all over it, both from the way it was worded, and by the absolute crazy idea that it detailed.  
'Have the Japanese POW's fight against the Chinese?' The thought was absurd, but as Gogol read, he realized just how brilliant the idea was. Almost fifty-thousand troops and tanks were in their possession, and with those numbers added to the existing Russian and American forces, it would be possible to push the Chinese away from Alden, maybe out of Siberia altogether.  
"Parker you genius," Gogol muttered as he shook his head.  
  
===============  
  
With the assistance of a few nurses, Ryoga was able to get himself transferred to Ranma's room. The room was a little crowded with two medical beds, but it wasn't like they would be doing much of anything aside from lying down.  
The scant few days that Ryoga had been on the ship, he had finally begun to eat at a normal human pace. A doctor and a few nurses monitored his food intake each day, and adjusted what he would eat the next day. Already the color had begun to return to Ryoga's skin, and his ribcage was less pronounced. Ranma too had begun his healing process, his bruises fading, and his broken bones and fractures resetting. He was already capable of moving around, if not for more than a few moments at a time.  
Already rumors were being spread about the ship about the incident in Japan. A few reports had apparently explained that a revolution had taken place in Japan, and the Prime Minister had been arrested, along with most of the Japanese government. The rumors weren't having much credit applied to them, but Ranma and Ryoga knew better.  
It had been Akane and Akari on the television after all, and both had witnessed Akane beat the Prime Minister senselessly. While both doubted that the Prime Minister was dead, he would certainly remember the beating for a long time.  
Despite the concern both held over what exactly was happening in Japan, they were able to catch up on the past four years of their lives.  
"Almost a year after I came back from China Akane and I had a baby," Ranma explained. "It was a girl, and we named her Kagome."  
"Kagome," Ryoga echoed. "I bet she's a real hell-raiser," he added with a sly grin.  
"Oh you don't know the half of it," Ranma said with a laugh. "Somehow she got Akane's stubbornness and tomboyish attitude and my restlessness. She's got more endurance than you."  
Ryoga smiled at the image in his head. "So that would make her about four years old then."  
Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I missed her last birthday though." The tone of his voice changed to one of anger. "All because of this damn war."  
Ryoga noticed the change in tone and decided to change the subject, one that had been on his mind for a very long time.  
"What about Akari? D-did she find someone else?" Ryoga closed his eyes to keep himself from crying and made a visible effort to keep himself in control. A hand fell on his shoulder and he opened his eyes to see Ranma's face looking into his.  
"She wasn't able to do it Ryoga," Ranma said. "You meant way too much to her for her to do that." 'Not to mention she had your kid' Ranma didn't add.  
"B-but in my letter I told her to find someone else," Ryoga protested as he began to sob. "I told her not to waste her life away because of me."  
Ranma watched as Ryoga slowly curled into a ball and began sobbing. While his initial thoughts had been that the four year imprisonment hadn't had much affect, he realized that he had been naïve in believing that any man could go through that much pain and torture and remain the man he used to be.  
"She couldn't move on because she didn't need to Ryoga," Ranma explained. "Because about four months after the war, she had your son."  
Ryoga's sobs ended quickly and his entire body froze. Ranma noticed the aura of depression that had surrounded him had disappeared.  
"M-my son?" Ryoga questioned softly as he slowly raised himself up to meet Ranma's gaze.  
A smile lit up Ranma's face. "You bet buddy, she had a little boy, seems you made her pregnant while we were in China with Seiji and Ishii."  
Ryoga's look of confusion didn't fade. "I have a son? W-what does he look like?"  
Ranma smirked. "Remember that time you ate those age-altering mushrooms, well, he looks about like how you did when you ate the 3cm one, only he's a bit older than that now, and without the bandanna."  
"So the reason Akari didn't find someone else is because she wanted to take care of my son?" Ryoga asked. "She didn't need another man because she had my son."  
"Yep, Ryoga Jr." Ranma said. "She named him after you by the way."  
Ryoga missed the joke and instead attempted to wrap his mind around the thought that he had a son. Once he was able to, another depressing thought came to mind.  
"I missed out on four years of his life. I missed his birth."  
Ranma recognized the feeling of depression Ryoga was emitting and attempted to remove it.  
"It's not like he didn't a have a father for all those years Ryoga, I did my best to be everything that I knew you would be to the little guy. Akane and I did everything we could to make him feel like family, Akari too. We invited them into are home, much like how we did for you and her."  
Ryoga felt his depression lightened by Ranma's words, but one thought persisted.  
"Does he know who I am?" Ryoga asked, and the absurdity of it hit him after he asked.  
"We made sure to show him pictures of you, and explain what you were like and all the other stuff, like how you saved our lives countless times, stuff like that," Ranma said with an indifferent look.  
Ryoga smiled. Ranma's praise was not something he gave out freely. "Thank you Ranma, for everything that you've ever done for me. I may not have been the best friend at times, but I'm proud to say that you are my very best friend."  
Ranma smiled back. "Right back at you pal."  
The two shared a look before looking down and coughing distantly to hide the discomfort.  
"I suppose all that's left now is to get back to Japan and find out what the hells going on there," Ranma said. "But I bet the girls are alright. Right now there probably at home with the kids, waiting for us to get back."  
"Us?" Ryoga asked. "You mean they know I'm coming?"  
Ranma nodded. "Phil said he would send word somehow to Japan that he got us both out of the prison camp."  
Ryoga sighed. He was going home. Words that he had dreamed about for four years but never truly thought would come to fruition.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Well now, look at this, I'm updating so early. I told you I wasn't keeping this story on the backburner, and now you can come away with a feeling of trust that I may have lost awhile ago.  
Finally! I'm sure that's what most of you are thinking right now. Akari and the others in Japan now have proof that Ryoga's alive, and Ryoga knows about his son. All that's left now is to reunite them. I'm not making any guarantees though; I'm sure your all familiar with how I like to throw a wrench in any plan that will help those two get back to Japan.  
On an entirely unrelated topic. I have a recommendation of a story to read. It's not based on any anime or manga, so this is only for those that enjoy other stories than ones based off of your favorite series.  
It's called Quaternion, a story of some pretty epic proportions. It's on fictionpress.com, fan fiction's alternate site for original works. It's by Cooper Russell or at least that's his pen name. Make sure you check it out, it's pretty good. 


	31. Until the End Chapter 30

Until the End  
Chapter 30  
The Call of Battle  
  
General Parker glanced out the window of his helicopter as the ship came into view. The pilot, a young Marine lieutenant, called to the air- traffic controllers on the ship to ask for clearance. After what seemed like an eternity, they got clearance and descended to the deck. Making sure he had his campaign hat and briefcase, Parker exited the helicopter and stretched his muscles. He readjusted his uniform, making sure the creases in his pants had not been mussed by the long ride, and turned to what he presumed was the XO of the ship.  
His presumption was wrong; as Parker noticed that the man was wearing an Admiral's uniform, and had matched the photo he had been given to allow him to correctly identify Admiral Leahy. Without thinking he saluted and was greeted with an amused smile from the Admiral. 'I'm being silently laughed at.' Parker thought to himself as the Admiral made a brief hand motion somewhere near his forehead, returning his salute.  
"General Parker I presume," Admiral Leahy said, his smile still not leaving his face. The Admiral was tall, almost as tall as Parker's 6'4" and had a face that would be described by most as handsome.  
"Admiral Leahy I presume," Parker said and immediately regretted it. 'There you go again Parker. Why the hell are you trying to mock a senior officer that is capable of denying your request?'  
Luckily for Parker, the smile still did not leave Leahy's face and he let a loud laugh escape his throat before extending his hand to Parker. Parker grabbed the extended hand and shook it. Leahy's grip was firm, and Parker immediately drew the conclusion that this man was a real soldier.  
Admiral Leahy was about to open his mouth when he looked past Parker. Turning to follow his gaze, Parker saw that the Marine lieutenant who had carried him to the battle cruiser was starting the engines of the helicopter.  
"Looks like your ride is leaving," Leahy commented, though he phrased it as a question.  
"It was only a loaner Admiral," Parker replied. "The Marines have always been a little possessive of their helicopters. They seem to think that the Navy and the Army will take any chance they can get to steal their stuff."  
Once again, Parker realized that his comment had come without his thinking, and was sure that the Admiral would be pissed.  
"This wouldn't be the first time I've seen the Marines expert ability to keep what they have in their hands away from those that might snatch it up General," Admiral Leahy said gravely.  
Parker laughed and was led across the deck towards the conning tower where he was thereupon taken to Admiral Leahy's office.  
"So," Leahy began after Parker had been given a cup of coffee and he had given his XO orders not to be disturbed unless the ship came under attack. "What is it that the Navy can do for an officer of the Army?"  
Smiling slightly, Parker dipped his hand inside his briefcase and came up with a small folder, and handed it to Admiral Leahy. Leahy wordlessly accepted the folder and begun to read what it contained.  
'Christ,' Parker thought to himself. 'If the Admiral isn't willing to lend me some aircraft to get back into Siberia then I'm going to be stranded here and there's no way I'll be able to acquire a ride till next month.'  
President Winnfield had made it painfully clear that even though the Chinese were making a second push into the Alden area, the United States was still low on troops available for service in Asia. Aside from pulling forces out of Afghanistan or out of the Homeland Defense Force, then the only thing that could be offered to the Russians were National Guardsmen, and Parker was sure the Russians shot that idea down as soon as it was brought up.  
'So now all that's left is to put the Japanese back in action, only this time they'll be fighting for our side. I really hope that President Winnfield is capable of convincing Kimura to send what exists of the remaining forces in Japan.  
Leahy finished reading the contents and set it down, meanwhile slowly bringing his eyes up to meet Parker's.  
'Oh Christ! He's going to tell me that there's no available aircraft'  
"I trust that you understand we are terribly undermanned as it is here, and that parting with even one aircraft could seriously call into jeopardy the security of our ships?"  
Parker shifted uneasily in the chair. "Yes sir, I realize it is a hell of large strain to put on your ship, but I simply have to get into Siberia."  
Admiral Leahy allowed Parker to sit uncomfortably under his gaze for a full minute before he finally smiled. To Parker it felt like a much greater amount of time.  
"Well, far be it from me to argue with the President," Leahy said as he stood up from his seat. "Let's go talk with the XO and see if he has any aircraft that I might be able to lend to you."  
  
===============  
  
"What do you see Captain?" the Russian PFC asked Gogol as he gazed through the binoculars at the advancing Chinese troops.  
"Looks like a light armored division," Gogol said as he scanned the assembled tanks and half-tracks. "They're most likely attempting to out- flank third division and cut them off from the main defense force."  
"Should we radio into headquarters?" the PFC asked.  
"Yeah," Gogol said softly. "And go find the American Green Beret that came with us and ask him to come see me.  
The PFC stood and walked through the thick snow-covered brush and a few minutes later Captain Ferdinand appeared through the bush. By the time it took the captain to appear, the Chinese had moved at least two kilometers forward.  
"You wanted to see me Captain?" Ferdinand asked in Russian.  
"Take a look," Gogol intoned and handed him the binoculars. Kneeling down the Captain took Gogol's position as Gogol stood to stretch his back.  
"The Chinese 27th Light Armor Division," Captain Ferdinand furnished as he handed the binoculars back. "They at least fifty kilometers ahead of the main force, and I'd imagine that they're attempting to cut off 3rd Division."  
"You ever hear, Captain, that the true test of a man's intelligence is by how much he agrees with you?" Gogol asked. Without waiting for a reply he stooped low beside Ferdinand and pulled his Global Positioning System from his pack.  
"The Chinese still have a fair way to go before they can arrive at Alden," Gogol said as he went over their position and the Chinese. "Since we won't be getting reinforcements till at least May, it might not be possible for us to stop the Chinese where we did last time. Luckily, the destruction that happened the first time around is going to seriously impede their progress, giving us time to evacuate Alden."  
"It seems all were capable of nowadays is retreating," Ferdinand commented bitterly.  
"I received the OK from Division Headquarters to start setting up small platoons to carry out hit-and-run attacks on the advancing enemy, but aside from slowing them down slightly, it won't accomplish much."  
Ferdinand nodded his head, agreeing with Gogol.  
"And now Captain, we're going to set an example for the young men we're about to leave behind to harass the enemy by going out ourselves and taking out four tanks each."  
"What?" Captain Ferdinand asked incredulously.  
Gogol smiled. "Come now Captain, were not old men yet, I'm sure you'll be able to keep up with the others, heck, I'll even let you have the first shot."  
  
===============  
  
It was dark. And cold. Ranma had left his platoon to check out the path ahead of them, since there had been reports that a squad of Russian infantry had been shadowing the division for the past few days. The dense foliage was nearly impossible to maneuver through without creating a disturbance in the trees and bushes. Slipping into the Umisen-Ken enabled him to lower the amount of noise he made, but Ranma had little faith in the thought that it hid him completely from the men he was hunting.  
The night air was frigid and sharp. Each intake of breath stabbed at his lungs, even though Ranma was not winded from his hike through the foliage. His eyes had long ago adjusted to the absolute darkness of the environment, but even a gentle breeze could change a branch or bush to appear as if someone was there, and it took almost all of his discipline to keep from opening fire. Alone as he was, it was possible for Ranma to admit to himself that he was terrified. From the moment he had left the base in Okinawa he'd seen sights that he would never wish anyone to see.  
Before his experiences in this war, the only association Ranma had had with death was during his fight with Saffron on Jusendo, where he had killed the demi-god. In many ways that experience had been easier than what he had been forced to go through in Siberia. Saffron, while he most certainly did die, was reborn a few moments later, taking away some of that sense of death that had lingered in his mind.  
The night seemed to get colder with that thought, and Ranma shivered in his fatigues, breaking his train of thought and taking him out of the Umisen-Ken. Just as he began to move again, the sound of someone's breathing reached his ears. Immediately stopping all movement, Ranma stopped, and listened. After a moment he did indeed pick up the sound of someone breathing. Moving as slowly as he could, he crept forward through the thick brush and ducked down low attempting to lower any possibility of being spotted.  
A Russian soldier was curled up next to a fallen tree trunk wrapped in what appeared to be a sleeping bag. His breathing was even, and not heavy, indicating he was asleep.  
Without thinking of it, Ranma brought his rifle to bear and took aim of the sleeping soldier. With his finger poised on the trigger guard, he realized what he was doing. The rifle fell from his hands and Ranma knelt low in the snow, tears filling his eyes. The cool air chilled his tears before they could drift down his face. His eyes stung from the pain and he brushed at them absently. Realizing that he was making too much noise, Ranma quickly got to his feet and turned to leave. As he placed his foot down he heard the snap of a frozen branch. In the silence that the night held, it was like a gunshot.  
The next few moments happened very slowly. The Russian soldier, like most experienced soldiers, slept very lightly when in the field, and was awake in the instant it took for the sound of the breaking branch to reach his ears. As his conditioning went, his hands were around his rifle in an instant and he was turning around to get a fix for the area that the sound came from.  
Ranma felt the tears leave his eyes instantly, and he dove for the rifle he had discarded early. The Russian soldier caught sight of him, and fired a short burst at him, all of which passed harmlessly over Ranma's head. The sight of the flash blinded Ranma for a moment, but gave him enough of an indication of where the soldier was for him to fire.  
It took only a few seconds, but Ranma felt as if a millennia had passed before he realized that he had hit the soldier. He let out a breath of relief just as he heard the strangled sound of the Russian soldier trying to crawl away. Like a pedestrian watching the aftermaths of an auto accident, he was drawn to where the Russian soldier was desperately trying to get to his feet. As he approached, Ranma saw that he had hit the soldier twice, one bullet had hit the man in the chest, and the other had gone high, striking him in the throat. The soldier heard him approach, and his eyes turned to fixate on Ranma.  
The tears were present in the man's eyes, as well as the fear that covered his face. The soldier tried to say something, a plea maybe, but the bullet that had struck him in the throat passed blood through his larynx and disabled his ability to speak. As pain wracked his body, the soldier seemed to begin to convulse, and he vomited, which consisted of arterial blood and muscle tissue. Ranma watched transfixed as the life slowly left the soldier's eyes. The tears that were in his eyes slowly fell down the soldier's face, and his body went slack.  
Ranma failed to notice that he was crying himself, as the sight of the horror-stricken soldier's face burned itself in his mind.  
Ranma's eyes snapped open. The thick foliage was now replaced with a drab white, and the gun in his hands was gone. His breathing was heavy, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest. As he took in his surroundings, the face of the Russian soldier came back to his, and the tears returned to his eyes. The memory pounded in his mind and he pressed his face down into his hands and wept.  
The feeling of a pair of arms wrapping around him startled him until he looked and saw that it was Ryoga who was now holding him.  
"It hurts doesn't it?" Ryoga asked softly. His grip was firm, but also very comforting. "I know I can't begin to imagine the things that you've experienced Ranma, but if it is within my power I will do everything I can to make sure you never have to experience it again."  
Ranma wept uncontrollably now, and Ryoga held him tighter.  
  
===============  
  
Isamu Kimura watched as Akane and Akari sorted through some of the many files that were scattered across his desk. Kimura had moved into former Prime Minister Shizuko's office (not his decision), and was at the moment going through some of the many reports that had been turned over to him to look at.  
"I think I can see why Shizuko went insane," Kimura commented dryly as he grabbed a very thick folder.  
"Now, now Kimura, we wouldn't want anyone to hear you talking like that, they might lock you up for being a conspirator," Akane remarked.  
Kimura gestured at all the clutter. "How could any one man do this every day?"  
"Shizuko had a bunch of help Kimura, so much so that he didn't have to do anything except dream up insane fantasies. We're stuck with all this because over half of the bureaucrats in the country are being investigated to see if they were in collaboration with Shizuko."  
"And I'm sure almost all of them were which means I'm going to be stuck with all this stuff until someone qualified can step in and take over," Kimura replied.  
"Oh stop your whining," Akari chided softly.  
Kimura was about to reply but the phone on his desk rang. Unfortunately he was unable to locate it.  
"With my luck it's going to be the President of the United States and he'll think I'm purposely trying to make him wait to show my own importance," Kimura commented as he searched his desk. He found it and quickly picked up the receiver.  
"Isamu Kimura," he spoke into the phone.  
*One moment please,* a female voice responded.  
Kimura shook his head bitterly. "I throw all the papers from me desk to find the phone and I'm put on hold."  
*Mr. Kimura?* a deep voice asked from the other end.  
"This is he," Kimura replied, and then realized he sounded like an idiot. The reply from the other end reflected this belief.  
*This is President Winnfield, Mr. Kimura,* Winnfield said.  
"Mr. President, it's good to hear from you sir."  
With the mention of the President, Akari and Akane moved closer to the desk. Kimura noticed their curiosity and switched over to speaker- phone.  
*I apologize that I have taken so long to get back to you but things have been very busy on my end.*  
"I understand sir; I've been quite busy myself."  
*Mr. Kimura, I'm afraid my call today has not been placed to exchange formalities; a very serious matter has been put forth to me.* A slight pause came over the line and the sound of paper rustling could be heard. *A report fashioned to me just under an hour ago reported that the Chinese forces in Siberia had just passed into the outskirts of Alden. By now the city will most likely have been overrun.*  
"I'm very sorry to hear that sir."  
*What makes this news even worse is that the Chinese forces have just received reinforcement, which brings their numbers to at least 300 000 strong in Siberia. At last count, Russian and American forces numbered near the 120 000 mark.*  
"I had not realized it was so bad," Kimura remarked gravely.  
*The Russian military has never been able to recover from the economic problems it encountered after the fall of the Soviet Union, and our military ventures in the Middle East have dwindled down our active forces to a number that is barely capable of occupying the Homeland Defense Force.* Winnfield's voice was slightly tight, suggesting that any comments on the topic would not be advised. *At the moment no other nation has answered our calls for their assistance. It would seem the UN is not feeling very obliging at the moment.*  
"I'm sorry to hear that sir," Kimura repeated. "If there were anything that I could do to help I assure you that I would do it."  
*I'm very pleased to hear that Mr. Kimura,* Winnfield said, his tone much lighter. *As it is, I think there is something that you can do for me.*  
"Sir?"  
*I'm sure you're well aware that shortly before Shizuko was toppled in your coup de tat, our forces in Siberia had captured nearly 40 000 Japanese troops?* Winnfield paused and when Kimura didn't respond, he continued. *It was proposed to me by the Commander of US Forces in Siberia that I might ask of you to loan us those soldiers to fight for us against the Chinese.*  
Kimura could have sworn that his heart had stopped. He lifted his head and looked at Akane and Akari, who were staring at the phone in disbelief. Realizing that the President of the United States was waiting for his answer, Kimura attempted to shake himself from his stupor.  
"Sir, I'm not sure that I'm authorized to make that kind of decision."  
*Kimura-san,* Winnfield began, suddenly switching to Japanese. *You are the only man in the country that the people will follow, and unless you make this decision than there will be civilian unrest. I hate to say this but, we don't necessarily need your approval to do this. If needed, I will order my commanders to arm the Japanese prisoners and force them into fighting. I know it sounds cruel, but the very balance of power in the world rests on the outcome of this war. China could very well come into possession of enough oil to make other countries turn from Canada and the Middle Eastern countries to them.*  
Kimura felt the very sudden weight of his situation. As President Winnfield saw it, he had two choices. He could either give the order to have the Japanese troops rearmed and sent into battle with the Americans and Russians, and thereby ensuring the relationship that Japan now held with America, or he could not, and have the United States order the Japanese soldiers to suit up anyways, and then get UN approval to move into Japan and take it under American rule, much like General MacArthur did back in World War II.  
"I will send the order out for Japanese troops to prepare to once again go into Russia, Mr. President," Kimura said softly. "I will inform the media once I get the opportunity, and will try and convince the country why we must go to war again."  
*Japan was never out of this war Mr. Kimura, and now thanks to this they will have a chance to put right all the things that they have wronged,* President Winnfield said simply and hung up.  
"That sonofabitch," Akane said softly, but angrily.  
"Don't blame the President, Akane," Kimura said lightly. "They're faced with war on two fronts, both of which are very dire to their survival as a nation, and I don't think President Winnfield would do this to just be a prick. He's right, despite not having much control over it, we did help the Chinese in their plan to take over Siberia, and we have a duty to help fix what we did wrong."  
"It still sounds like were getting the short end of the stick," Akari said bitterly. "All those poor soldiers in Siberia that were captured are going to have to fight against the Chinese now."  
"The world is not always fair Akari," Kimura said, though his voice held little conviction. "We've got to do now what we must in order to keep our nation free."  
"I know that," Akari said. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it do I?"  
"Of course not," Kimura smiled. "Now come on, you two have to help me think of a speech I'll deliver to the public to inform them of this, and I don't want to wind up being labeled a traitor."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I'm terrible sorry everyone. My work sent me to London for the past three weeks in order to attend some conferences, and I was away from my computer for far too long. Even worse, I won't be able to put up any new chapters till at least a little bit into the New Year.  
I'm really sorry. 


	32. Until the End Chapter 31

Until the End  
Chapter 31  
The End of all Things  
  
As the helicopter touched down on the deck of the aircraft carrier, Parker noticed a great amount of activity on the deck. It was a few hundred yards from where he was, but it seemed that the crew members were gathered in a circle watching something. Getting out of the helicopter, Parker sprinted down the length of the deck to where the assembled men were standing and cheering. Some of the sailors turned in annoyance when Parker began to push through them, but when they saw the stars of a Brigadier General they moved aside to let him pass.  
Once he had cleared the first few lines of sailors Parker was able to see what had garnered the attention of the crew. There, in the middle of a flight deck, were two Japanese men sparring with each other. Ranma was the easiest to recognize out of the two, but Ryoga seemed like a different person than when he had last seen him. The color of his skin was no longer the sickly pale and was instead replaced with a vibrant shimmer accented more because of the light sheen of sweat from their workout. Ryoga's body no longer seemed to be the frail thing it had appeared to be back in China, and now was beginning to resemble the massive powerhouse that it had once been. The thick wall of muscle had not deteriorated that much over the four year period, and the recent medical attention as well as workouts with Ranma had proven to be enough for the martial artist to get back into his old condition.  
The sparring ended shortly after Parker arrived, as Ranma dealt Ryoga a hard snap kick to the jaw that sent him sprawling to the ground. Ryoga tried vainly to get up, but collapsed back down on the deck with a grunt of pain and defeat. Ranma turned to the assembled men and gave them a curt bow, which earned him a round of applause from the sailors. As he rose from the bow Ranma caught sight of Parker and smiled. He walked the distance to where Ryoga was lying and bent over him.  
"Think you can stand up Ryoga?" Ranma asked as he extended his hand. Ryoga batted it aside and struggled to his feet.  
"Just you wait Saotome, all I need is another good week or so and I'll be able to clean your clock just like I used to," Ryoga said with fake menace. The two shared a laugh and Ranma directed Ryoga's attention to Parker who was standing a few feet away with a smile plastered on his face.  
"Good to see you back to you're old self again Ryoga," Parker said in Japanese as he greeted him. "I take it your feeling a bit better than when we last met."  
Ryoga smiled. "You bet, but I've gotten a little rusty, not that this jerk really cares. He just likes to beat on me now because once I'm back to normal health I'll wipe the floor with him."  
"Don't let the fool trick you Phil," Ranma interjected. "He's pretty much as fast as he's always been, he just needs to get his endurance back up there, heck, he almost knocked me down this time."  
"Well I'm glad you two seem to be enjoying yourselves," Parker said, in a light tone, but was now serious. "I'm just stopping by before I head back into Siberia."  
"How long before you have to go?" Ranma asked.  
"I've got maybe three hours. I told my pilot that he could have some recuperated leave while were here. Mostly it means getting a little shut eye before taking another five hour flight through Russia airspace and then the long flight back once he drops me off."  
"Well, if you don't have much else to do then how about coming and having a drink with us?" Ranma asked. Parker smiled and motioned for Ranma to lead the way.  
  
===============  
  
Kimura walked stiffly through the hallways. He was trailed by two Japanese police officers and a few other jacketed bodyguards.  
"Is this the one?" Kimura asked, pointing at the door he had stopped in front of. The police officers nodded their heads. "Alright then, everyone wait outside."  
Judging by the faces the bodyguards made, Kimura could tell they did not like the idea of him going inside alone.  
"Hey, if I need you guys I can just call alright."  
He pushed the door open and closed it softly behind him. As he took a few steps into the room he noted how superb it was.  
"Good afternoon Shizuko-san," Kimura said to the man seated in a chair looking out the large bay windows. Shizuko did not respond. "This is a very nice room, I'm surprised that you were put in here, I had thought that most criminals earned a cold cell with a nice roommate."  
Kimura could tell that he had made Shizuko flinch with his last remark.  
"Since you asked to see me Shizuko, I would have thought it would mean you had something to say," Kimura intoned lightly.  
After a long pause, the chair turned slowly from the window to face Kimura. Shizuko was wearing a very fancy kimono, but the look was ruined when Kimura spotted the thick cast and sling his right arm was in.  
'Probably from when Akane gave him a good beating,' Kimura thought to himself.  
"I can't tell you how glad I am to see my successor looking so chirpy," Shizuko said sarcastically. "I trust you've found my office quite comfortable?"  
"Actually it's a little cluttered right now, seeing as how I've got a lot of paperwork, seems you really fucked up this country during the last few months."  
Shizuko's face flushed red and it looked to Kimura like he was going to pounce out of the chair. He wasn't worried; he had a good three inches on the former Prime Minister, and had also been trained in martial arts by Ranma Saotome and had gained a rudimentary lesson in the hand-to-hand combat skills of Phillip Parker.  
"Listen Shizuko, I'm a very busy man, and I don't really have to the time to come by and exchange insults with you," Kimura said as he turned to the door.  
"Oh I wouldn't recommend leaving Kimura-san," Shizuko said. His voice had changed, and where it had once been sarcastic and reserved, it now held a confident tone.  
Kimura paused, and slowly turned back around. "What do you want to say Shizuko?"  
"I understand that the war between China and Russia is continuing, and that China is almost into Alden. If the Chinese can take the city then it's only a matter of time before Siberia falls into their hands."  
"What's your point?" Kimura asked.  
"Well, the Russians can't let Siberia fall. If they lose Siberia then they lose their one last chance to stabilize the country. If it comes down to losing Siberia, Moscow may resort to extreme measures."  
Kimura caught what Shizuko was getting at, but didn't reply.  
"As far as Russia knows, China has no nuclear warheads, ever since the Americans took them out half a decade ago. But that's just not true."  
"What?" Kimura asked, his face pale.  
"Zhisheng and I foresaw that Russia may retaliate with nuclear arms, and that it would be foolish for us to simply keep all our nuclear capabilities in one country, just in case one of us happened to be taken out before the end. With this I accepted Zhisheng's proposal to move half of Japan's nuclear weapons into mainland China."  
"Why should I believe that?" Kimura asked, though inside he knew it to be true.  
Shizuko snorted. "Go count the number of warheads you have those technicians dismantling; I'm sure you'll come up short a few from the numbers that I've kept."  
Kimura remembered a report that had crossed his desk a few days ago, saying that the techs had only found half of the proscribed nuclear arms and were continuing the search for the others.  
Shizuko saw the look on Kimura's face and smiled. "Zhisheng told me where he was going to put them Kimura-san, and I am willing to give you that information."  
"And what do you want in return?" Kimura asked, though he had an idea.  
"A complete pardon from all charges against me," Shizuko stated. He saw the very distressed face Kimura had and smiled. "I'm willing to wait a few days for you to consider my proposal."  
Kimura cast one glance at Shizuko and then left the room silently.  
  
===============  
  
"So there's no stopping the Chinese?" Ranma asked sadly.  
"Not with our present amount of forces in Siberia. Unfortunately, the United States has its hands full at the moment trying to regain stability in Afghanistan, and it would seem that the President is preparing to go to war with Iraq," Parker added.  
"Shit," Ranma cursed. "Doesn't he have enough on his table?"  
Parker looked sternly at Ranma. "He has his reasons Ranma. Obviously he must see Iraq as a big enough threat to warrant it."  
"Sorry, I just really can't see how having three different areas of conflict will do anyone any good," Ranma said defiantly. "I've experienced it first-hand, and I can say will certainty that it was probably the worst thing I've ever had to do in my life."  
Parker sighed. "I know Ranma, I hate it too, but it's something that must be done. As it is, we've got a plan to hopefully end the war in Siberia, but it's risky, and I'm not even sure if it'll work."  
Ranma and Ryoga looked at him quizzically.  
"After the Battle of Alden, we managed to capture 30 000 Japanese troops. President Winnfield has decided, the Russians have agreed, that we can use those troops to halt the Chinese advancement."  
Ranma paled. "What does the Japanese government have to say about this?"  
Parker looked at Ranma for a moment and then laughed. "Oh man, I can't believe I forgot." He smiled as both young men stared at him. "There was a revolution in Japan a couple of weeks ago. Shizuko and the pretty much the rest of the government have been arrested and at the moment Isamu Kimura is now the acting head of Japan."  
Surprising Parker, Ryoga and Ranma seemed to accept the news right away.  
"Then this has to do with Akane and Akari beating up the Prime Minister on television a couple of weeks ago?" Ranma asked.  
"You guys saw that?" Parker asked. Ranma and Ryoga nodded. "Well, I bet it was one hell of a surprise."  
"I was still getting used to the idea that I was actually going to be able to go home," Ryoga stated. "Seeing Akari and Akane was definitely a shock."  
"Well, Shizuko's been overthrown now, and the President told me that he was confident Kimura would see that there really is no other choice in the matter, so when I head back to Siberia, I'll be given command of the forces again, plus the Japanese. If were lucky, than we just might be able to keep the Chinese from getting Siberia."  
"So does that mean all Japanese POW's in American care will soon be rearmed and sent back into the field?" Ranma asked.  
"Almost everyone," Parker said with a smile. "Don't worry Ranma, you've done enough fighting."  
The relief on Ranma's face was evident, and Ryoga patted him on the shoulder in comfort. Parker smiled at the two and glanced at his wristwatch.  
"Well, I've got to go see if I can find my pilot," Parker announced to the two as he got to his feet.  
"We'll help you," Ranma said as he and Ryoga got to his feet.  
  
===============  
  
"You make sure you're careful alright," Ranma said as he stood just outside the door of the helicopter.  
"Don't you worry," Parker shouted over the noise of the engine. "I'll see you two in Japan." The door slammed shut and Ranma and Ryoga sprinted a short distance away as the helicopter lifted into the air. They stood there watching the helicopter until it was a single spec on the horizon.  
After eating supper in the mess hall with the other sailors, the two went back out onto the deck for another sparring match. Thoroughly exhausted, the two retired to their room. After an hour and a half of light napping, the two were awakened when someone knocked at the door.  
"Come in," Ryoga called out tiredly as he sat up. He tossed a magazine at Ranma across the room in an attempt to wake him.  
The door opened the ships XO came in. Ranma, awakened by Ryoga's magazine, immediately got to his feet and saluted, though he recalled that he wasn't supposed to do that indoors to a naval officer.  
"At ease," the Xo said quickly. He looked down at a clipboard he held in his hand. "Names please."  
"Ranma Saotome." "Ryoga Hibiki."  
"Ah, there we go," the XO said with a smile. "Alright, you two come with me."  
"Can I ask where were going?" Ryoga intoned. The XO looked at him with a smile.  
"All former Japanese POW's are to be taken to the mess hall where they will receive an announcement from the Captain," the XO explained.  
Ranma and Ryoga shared a look of confusion with each other. Ranma shrugged and nodded towards the XO.  
"Lead the way."  
  
===============  
  
Gogol watched solemnly as the long lines of Japanese soldiers were being instructed on the order that had just come down the other day. Each soldier now carried a rifle, along with an ammunition belt. The sight of the men that he had fought only a weeks ago, armed and within range of shooting him was slightly unnerving. He was so deep in thought that when Parker dropped his hand down onto Gogol's shoulder that he started in surprise.  
"Catch you day dreaming?" Parker asked as he looked past Gogol to the Japanese soldiers.  
"Just thinking sir," Gogol replied as he regarded Parker. The man looked a great deal better than when he had last seen him. When the Navy had sent choppers to come pick them up Parker had still yet to regain control of his legs, after sustaining a severe blow to his spinal cord when he was ejected from the jeep he had been riding in.  
"I see the President's orders are being carried out," Parker noted as a few soldiers continued to shout orders in Japanese.  
"Yes sir."  
Parker looked down and saw the apprehension in Gogol's eyes.  
"I realize this is going to be a big risk Gogol, but there's absolutely no way we could pull this off without more man-power. Due to problem on both our respective ends, the supply of troops is dribbled down to a minimum. With the revolution in Japan, we've gained ourselves another ally."  
Gogol nodded his head slowly. "I agree with you sir, it's just a little weird seeing the same men I was fighting over the battlefield to now be on our side."  
"Well, war always makes for odd bed-fellows my friend," Parker commented. He looked over at Gogol one last time and then marched out towards the large group of assembled troops.  
The sound of 30 000 hands coming to their foreheads echoed throughout the camp as the two soldiers instructing the Japanese saluted Parker, only to have the Japanese follow suit.  
"At ease," Parker intoned softly and looked grimly at the assembled men. He motioned to one of the soldiers and retrieved the large bullhorn from his hand.  
"Good afternoon," Parker said in Japanese, his voice carried clearly across the open meadow, allowing all ears to hear him.  
"We are now meeting under odd circumstances, but I wish to make it clear at the moment that I do not consider any of you to be second-class to any of my troops. You are equal to me, and to my men. The madman that led to your coming to this country is now behind bars, and the new righteous leaders of your country would have you return to your homes, where your families will no doubt be overjoyed to see you, and you them."  
"But before that can happen there is something that you must do, something that has fallen onto your heads, which have already bared a great deal of burden. As soldiers of your country, you must serve your country to the fullest of your ability, and right now there is one last task that your country shall ask of you. An enemy still exists that you must fight, one that you fought alongside not too long ago in the past. These men are not the brave warriors that you are, nor do they follow any sense of honor. They seek to take that which is not theirs, and to use its newfound strength to strike out at the world, which it seeks to control."  
Parker paused as he watched the assembled men, knowing that he had their undivided attention.  
"The bonds that once existed between you and that enemy no longer exist, and what was once your ally has now become your most hated enemy. I realize that there is nothing more than any of you wishes to do than to leave this country and return to your homeland, it is something I wish to do as well."  
"We have met each other on the battlefield once, and though your hearts may not have been behind the cause that which you were fighting for, you fought bravely, and I respect you for that. Now we are a brotherhood a band of brothers, one of which that will go to battle together not as two separate entities but as a whole, and one that our enemy will be damned for ever wishing to fight against. We shall meet them on the battlefield and as you look at them I wish for you to realize that they are what you must fight against to get to your homes. Every soldier that falls, every tank that crumbles will be one more obstacle between you and your home. If there was anything that you had to put your entire being behind, than this battle will be it."  
"When the enemy sees you, he will cower and his resolve will crack but they shall still fight, for the alternatives to fighting will be a death for cowardice. They may hold the superior numbers, but a force of 100 000 soldiers can do nothing but fall when faced with a force that knows no fear, and will not falter even while charging them from across the battlefield knowing that they charge to face an enemy that greatly outnumbers them."  
"So when you go into battle tomorrow do not go with a heavy heart, instead I ask that you go with the strength and power that has kept you alive to this day, and when the enemy appears do not let them see any fear, or weakness. Instead of allowing that fear to overcome you I ask that set your head high and carry yourself with an air of superiority that will allow our enemy to see what it is that they shall be up against."  
"You are my brothers, and together we will taste victory over our enemy, and once they are defeated we will go to our homes and to our families, and we will be able to say that we fought with our pride, and with our determination, and that no being on Earth could possible stand against us."  
Parker brought the bullhorn from his mouth and gazed at the soldiers for a long moment, attempting to look as many as he could straight in the eye. With a deep bow, he turned from them and headed back towards Gogol.  
Gogol stood where Parker had left him, and when he got close enough he saw the tears that were running down his cheeks.  
  
===============  
  
There were at least 75 soldiers in the mess hall when Ranma and Ryoga arrived, and both men noticed that all of them were Japanese. Ranma had seen most of these men before on the ship, and at least a few of them he had seen while fighting in Siberia. He wondered curiously what it was that they were all doing here.  
The Admiral of the ship motioned for Ranma to approach him. He asked in English if Ranma understood him, and then told him to translate what he was saying to the other troops.  
"Good afternoon gentlemen, I trust you have all enjoyed your stay on my ship."  
Ranma translated this and the assembled men smiles wanly.  
"As I'm sure you've all come to hear, the war in Siberia is still raging on, and the Americans and Russians are being continuously pushed back. At this time, it has been decided by the Japanese Prime Minister, and the Presidents of both Russia and America, that the Chinese cannot be allowed to capture Siberia. It is that decision that has made the following order to be made."  
As Ranma finished translating, he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. His stomach tightened and he felt bile rise in his throat.  
"As of 27 May, 2003, all Japanese POW's in possession by either American or Russian forces shall be returned to Siberia where they will continue the fight to hold Siberia."  
Ranma's eyes flashed to where Ryoga was standing and he saw his own horrified look mirrored in his eyes.  
"Navy transports shall take you into Siberia later today, where you will link up with the main force. We must ask that you give us the address of your homes so that we may contact your family and give them the news."  
Not a single man moved after the Admiral finished giving the news, and it was a long moment before they began to slowly file out of the room. The Admiral and the XO could not meet any of their gazes, and instead looked at the floor.  
After a few moments the room was empty save for Ranma, Ryoga, and the Admiral.  
"Um, sir?" Ranma intoned quickly as the Admiral turned to leave. "Was there anything in that message about soldiers that would be excused from the order?"  
"No lieutenant. At this time every soldier is needed in Siberia."  
Without another word the Admiral left, and Ranma and Ryoga were left.  
"How could this happen?" Ryoga asked softly. "Parker said that we would be exempt from the order."  
"Then Phil was wrong," Ranma said. "If the situation is as bad as everybody's been painting it, then I doubt they'd let the two of us go, even with Parker backing us."  
Ranma lifted his eyes to meet Ryoga and tried to smile. "Looks like were heading back to China again."  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: I am so terribly sorry everyone. I know it's been absolutely forever since I updated. There's been far too many things happening in the last two months and I want to take the time to apologize right now. With only a few chapters left, I promise that I will have the story finished soon. 


	33. Until the End Chapter 32

Until the End  
Chapter 32  
Siberia Again  
  
The transport truck stopped just outside the initial perimeter fence, and the driver called into the back for everybody to dismount. Ranma jumped down from the back and looked around. He inhaled deeply, noting that the air was still frigid, despite the fact that the month of May had already come to pass. Though, Siberia was quite far north so the temperatures in spring still managed to dip into the minus degrees centigrade.  
Turning around, Ranma reached into the truck and pulled his pack out, and slung it over his shoulder. At the same time Ryoga hopped down from the bed of the truck and took in the surroundings much in the same way Ranma did.  
"Welcome to Siberia," Ranma commented lightly, earning a wry grin from Ryoga.  
"So where are we supposed to go now?" Ryoga asked. "This place doesn't look too friendly."  
Ranma glanced towards the perimeter fence, which was guarded by three armed guards. The guards weren't standing watch as he was used to; they were instead inside man-made ditches with their heads poked above the surface with their weapons trained on the surrounding woods.  
"The Chinese are probably only 50 or so clicks from this place Ryoga," Ranma explained. "I guess their a little worried about snipers taking pot shots at them."  
Ryoga grunted in agreement, and scanned the area a little more carefully. "Well, I don't feel any other strong presences from here, or I suppose we would have already come under fire huh?"  
Ranma smiled. "Well, at least your danger sense hasn't diminished any."  
"A damned good thing it hasn't Saotome, cause with the way you handled yourself the last time I saw you in uniform, you take far too many risks, just like when you were studying the Art."  
Ranma bristled slightly but didn't rise to the challenge in Ryoga's voice. It wouldn't due to have the American and Russian troops see them beat the tar out of each other right off the bat.  
"Come on pig-boy, lets go see about finding a duty station or something so we can report in," Ranma said as he began walking towards the guards.  
"Hey, I don't turn into a pig anymore, unless your calling Akane a pig, and then I'm really sure you don't want her to hear about that," Ryoga added.  
"Force of habit," Ranma explained. "But don't worry P-Chan, I'm sure it'll be out of my system in no time."  
Ryoga shook his head lightly as he chuckled.  
Their light banter was stopped shortly as the guards immediately yelled for them to halt where they were and to put their hands above their heads. It took several minutes, but Ranma and Ryoga were finally admitted to the base once it was understood that they were not Chinese soldiers trying to trick them.  
Once inside, it was quickly discerned that finding the duty station would be quite a task. The entire base had obviously come under heavy artillery shelling in the near present and it didn't appear that there was even one standing building in the entire camp. The Chinese had obviously made up for lost time since Ranma had been taken prisoner, as the entire base looked like the Chinese had brought the full weight of their artillery and bombers onto the base.  
"C'mon Ryoga, lets go try and find someone senior."  
Ryoga looked at Ranma puzzled. "What's the point of looking for someone senior?"  
"Hopefully whoever it is we find they'll be able to tell us exactly where were gonna be needed," Ranma explained as he started walking. Ryoga looked around the camp and sighed before jogging after Ranma.  
  
===============  
  
General Parker watched solemnly as he took in the condition of the base. The Chinese had really been blasting the hell out of it in the past 24 hours, a sure-fire sign that they were about to make their final push into Siberia. Alden had been taken, and now all that was needed was for the Chinese to break up their remaining forces and Siberia would all but be under Beijing's control.  
With some leeway from the other Russian officers, Parker had managed to organize the remaining forces they had left into one large group. He didn't want to split the force into three separate forces with the Russians, Americans, and Japanese all fighting in different areas. He needed two separate forces, intermingled with each different country's soldiers, and to do that he had had to convince the Russian officers that going off to fight with just their own soldiers would not be in their best interests. There were perhaps 60 000 men fighting the massive Chinese force, and splitting them up was just asking to have them get run over.  
So now Parker was commanding the largest force he could ever have imagined himself controlling in the field at one time. It was frightening, but Parker couldn't let it get the better of him. With a skill garnered from over 20 years in the military service, Parker had the Allied forces split into almost two equal halves. The Chinese would meet the first force head on, while the second group would swoop around and strike from the side. The goal was to cut the Chinese force in half, and contain them. The Russian Air Force was promising that they could get at least a couple squadrons over the area at about 0600 the next morning, and if they could keep the Chinese contained till then, it just might be possible for them to take the Chinese out of Siberia.  
All that needed to happen now was for nothing to upset his carefully laid out plans. Of course, even the most carefully laid out plans can be upset.  
"I don't believe it," Parker muttered to himself as he looked across the base.  
  
===============  
  
"Ranma is that who I think it is?" Ryoga asked as he tapped Ranma on the shoulder. Ranma turned and looked to where he was pointing.  
"Well I'll be damned," Ranma said softly. In a much louder voice he called out. "General Parker! Lieutenant Saotome and Sergeant Hibiki reporting in!"  
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Parker demanded as he approached them.  
Ranma shrugged. "You Americans can't seem to follow orders, even ones that come from your President. The Admiral on that cruiser kicked us off and sent us to Siberia to help you guys out."  
"Are you serious?" Parker asked incredulously. "I gave the XO on the ship an order signed by the President that you two weren't to be sent back."  
"Yeah," Ranma started. "But then the next order came down, which was also signed by the President and it expressively said that all Japanese servicemen who had fought in Siberia were to be sent back. That's how I got Ryoga here sergeant's stripes. I told the officer handing out uniforms that he had lost his uniform in the prison camp."  
Parker shook his head in disbelief. "Great. Well, we've got no choppers coming in till after this little tussle with the Chinese that were about to have, so your stuck here till after we crush the Chinese."  
"You really think you can beat the Chinese Parker?" Ryoga asked in a quiet voice.  
Parker sighed. "I have to believe it Ryoga, because otherwise I'll show fear, and right now the last thing I want to show my men is fear. When a commanders afraid, his troops are afraid."  
"It's just like when you're in a fight with a martial artist," Ranma commented. "You gotta make sure you believe your gonna win, and make sure the guy your fightin' knows it too."  
They looked at each for a brief moment then fell into an uneasy silence.  
"I'm afraid I'm gonna be too busy to have you guys by my side for this battle," Parker said breaking the silence. "So I'll have to stuff you into one of the units." He looked over at Ryoga and the rifle that hung from his shoulder. "Did you get a chance to learn how to use that?"  
Ryoga smirked. "I fired off a few 'qualifying rounds' as Ranma called them just before we jumped the truck that took us here. I hit the targets more often than I missed."  
"I want you two to make sure nothing happens to you. I don't want Akari and Akane having either one of your deaths hanging over my head."  
"Don't worry Parker," Ranma said. "If there's one thing me and Ryoga know how to do, Ryoga especially, it's survive when the odds are against us."  
"The Chinese will not be going any further into Siberia," Ryoga proclaimed in an icy voice.  
Parker smiled and placed a hand on both their shoulders. He looked as if he was going to say something, but instead released them and walked away.  
  
===============  
  
Akane sat uneasily on the floor in the living room of the Saotome household/Dojo. Kagome sat on her lap looking at the television that sat across the end of the table they sat at. Akari and Ryoga Jr. were close to them and both watched the television intently. It was tuned to CNN, and the American network was having a direct satellite linkup with a war correspondent in Siberia. The news was not good, and despite Kagome and Ryoga Jr's inquiries they remained silent on why they were so grim-faced over the news.  
The situation was obviously not going too well. The Chinese were advancing on their positions, and the Allied forces were grossly undermanned to deal with them. Of course, the correspondent was not saying these things, as it would have been unwise to give away such information over a free channel, but Akane and Akari had been given the news earlier by Kimura who in turn received the news from the President of the United States.  
Ranma and Ryoga were fighting there, both women knew it deep down inside, and while Parker would be there as well, it still sat within both women that something terrible was going to happen.  
  
===============  
  
The night sky came quite quickly, and the temperatures dropped considerably. With Parker leading the forces, it took a remarkably short amount of time to split the soldiers into two, and get everyone into position. Even so, it was going to be quite close to having the second group in position before the Chinese were upon them.  
Ryoga and Ranma had opted to go with the force that would ultimately be fighting the direct battle with the Chinese and hold them off till the second force could strike from the rear flank and break the force in half. It was going to be very close, and it was entirely possible that they would get overrun before the second force could attack, and then the situation would definitely be hopeless.  
Ranma was afraid, much more afraid then he had ever been in his whole life. Facing Saffron could be the only thing that would be comparable to this. He was going to have to kill a lot of people today, something that didn't sit well with him, and never had. Killing an opponent was something that he avoided in Martial Arts, but it took only one look at the men surrounding him for him to realize that he would either have to kill or be killed. This wasn't Martial Arts, and he wasn't just fighting a skilled opponent in a match. This was survival, and he would either have to survive or die, it was as simple as that.  
Looking over at Ryoga, Ranma could tell that he was afraid as well. That was something else that he needed to fight for. Ryoga had spent half a decade locked up in a prison camp enduring torture and now he was free, only to wind up back fighting for his life. If there was one thing he was going to fight for, it would be to get himself and Ryoga home to Akane and Akari and their children.  
  
===============  
  
The first shot fired was at 2326, and came from the Chinese 24th Infantry Battalion. A sniper had taken position on a tree branch and found a number of targets. After a few moments of searching, he found an important looking Major and decided to take him out.  
The Russian Major was struck directly in the face by the round fired from the Chinese sniper, and died before he hit the ground. A Russian Lieutenant saw the muzzle flare from the sniper's shot, and called out to the mortar team.  
After two misfires, the sniper was torn apart by mortars.  
The last battle for Siberia had started.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry for the short chapter. This is just to set up for the next and final installment aside from an epilogue that I will do once the final chapter is released. 


	34. Until the End Finale

Until the End  
Chapter 33  
Finale  
  
"Can you see anyone?" Ryoga whispered quietly to Ranma.  
"No," Ranma replied. "Just a whole heck of a lot of darkness."  
About 20 minutes had passed since they had heard the first mortar rounds being fired presumably at the Chinese, and everyone's nerves were understandably on edge. The Chinese could not have been more than a kilometer away from them, but there had yet to be any sign of them.  
Movement behind the two caught there attention and they turned to look at the unexpected visitor. It was Parker.  
"Just got word from the scouting team I sent out about a half hour ago. The Chinese are advancing, apparently those mortar rounds got them revved up, and they should come charging out here in about five minutes," Parker informed them.  
"Thanks Phil," Ranma said softly. Parker nodded at both of them before quickly heading back into the thick shrubbery.  
The two martial artists turned to look at each other.  
"Long way from Nerima isn't Ranma?" Ryoga said.  
"You said it buddy," Ranma intoned sadly. Silence befell the two for a moment.  
"I just want you to know that no matter what happens here we'll be going home together," Ranma said softly. Ryoga affected him a gentle smile.  
"You got it Saotome."  
Without anything else to say, the two turned back to the far ridgeline, waiting for the inevitable appearance of the Chinese.  
  
===============  
  
As it turned out, Parker's estimate for how long it would take the Chinese to arrive was right on the dot. The artillery barrage started shelling the ridgeline without any signs of letting up. Luckily for the Allied troops, the Chinese Air Force had been beaten down into the ground for most of the war, so it could not spare any planes to run over the area to see where the troops were stationed, which led to poorly delivered artillery rounds that more often than not fell far out of range.  
That's not to say that the barrage was ineffective, at least 3 squads were hammered by the artillery, all of which were not more than 20 feet from where Ranma and Ryoga had been positioned.  
After an hour or so of it, the artillery stopped, and an eerie silence fell over the encampments. The only noise that could be heard was the moans and screams of those that were wounded. It then came as quite a shock when the sounds rifle shots began to ring out.  
"Infantry! On the ridgeline!" a Japanese soldier screamed out. The declaration was followed out in both Russian and English shortly after.  
Ranma and Ryoga found that they were positioned in just the right area that they could see the Chinese come pouring out of the woodlands. There needed no prompting from either of them, as both men brought there rifles to bear and began selecting targets.  
Despite Ryoga's joking beforehand, he had actually found that he was quite a good shot, something that no doubt could be explained because of his extensive martial arts training. Keeping his hands firm and steady on the rifle was simple, even though he was facing an army that grossly outnumbered them, and was showing all the signs of a foe that was going to fight until the last man.  
Round after round was fired and man after man fell. Ranma and Ryoga were selecting targets with a calm and cool aura, and eliminating them with no second thought spared to the fallen enemy. The emotions would come afterwards, but right now the two could only think about surviving this battle.  
Despite the large number of Chinese that were falling, they were still pushing their way towards the Allied ridgeline. Machine gun nests began to hose approaching Chinese platoons and were in turn zeroed in by mortar teams. The action was intense, and men were falling quickly on both sides.  
The deep rumbling felt in the ground was a signal that the Chinese Armor was about to enter the fray, and shortly after that thought crossed the minds of many of the men, the tanks emerged from the woods, their cold menace a promise of death and pain for all those that stood before it. The Allied Armor quickly made its presence known and the two sides began to fight it out, the metal machines fighting like two soldiers out in the middle of the battlefield. Explosive rounds were fired and landed all around the battlefield. Tanks and halftracks were hit and the sounds of the crew inside screaming were lost as the machine would become engulfed in flames, sending the men inside to a morbid death by fire.  
The battle was barely even 2 hours begun, and already things were not looking good for the defenders of Siberia. The Chinese had begun to push them back, and at the moment, it looked as if their lines may be broken.  
  
===============  
  
1st Lieutenant Gogol listened solemnly as the sounds of battle raged to the west. He was part of the second force; the one that would move in from the rear flank and attempt to split the Chinese forces into two, and then hold them off till the Russian Air Force could arrive and bomb them into the ground.  
Gogol had no illusions about the massive force he was going to be fighting, but he believed that they could win this battle. The Chinese were not going to take this part of his homeland and he would willingly give his life in this battle if it meant that the Chinese could be expelled from Russia, and sent running back to China.  
Parker would send the word when they were supposed to attack, and already the urge was strong in the men to move now and save their comrades from fighting the battle by themselves, but they would hold till Parker gave the word.  
Gogol's rifle felt heavy in his hands as he stood silently with the sounds of battle straight ahead of him. 'Let the order come,' Gogol thought to himself. 'The Chinese will not go one step further into Siberia.'  
  
===============  
  
Acting Prime Minister Isamu Kimura watched the clock that hung on the wall of his office remorsefully. While the thought that the forces in Siberia would be engaging right about now was floating around in his mind, he had a different matter that he was worrying over.  
Shizuko had said that the Chinese had received some of the nuclear missiles that he had secretly developed over the past few years. The nuclear technicians that had been sent over from the UN had informed him earlier that morning that there were indeed missiles missing from their depots. That meant that China was capable of launching a nuclear strike at any country in the world of its choosing. If a miracle came to pass and the Russian, American, and Japanese forces in Siberia managed to defeat the Chinese, than Zhisheng would most likely launch a missile at either Moscow, Washington, or Tokyo. Or if he wanted, he could launch one at all of those targets.  
Kimura had passed the news onto President Winnfield, and Winnfield has promised that he would get his government to locate those missiles and find a way to destroy them. Kimura wasn't holding his breath over whether the Americans may or may not find the missiles. The battle in Siberia could only last for a few more hours and if the Chinese lost, than it was entirely likely that a nuclear tipped missile could drop down on his head any second. Ordering a mass evacuation of the city would do only result in wide-spread panic and disorder.  
The fate of the nation rests in the hands of the Americans right now.  
  
===============  
  
Parker pulled the spoon of the grenade and let it fly towards the approaching Chinese platoon. A few shouts in Chinese rang out and were followed shortly by the deafening detonation of the grenade. Parker popped up and fired a few rounds into the Chinese on the ground, making sure that they would not be getting up. He had gotten separated from his radioman a few moments ago, and knew that the other division would not move into action until he gave the word to go. As it stood now, the other division needed to move now, because the Chinese were at the ridgeline, and the fighting had quickly deteriorated into close-quarters battles. He knew that trench knives would be put into use, and thanked God that he had made sure to have everyone do some extra training in hand-to-hand combat.  
The nearby rumbling of a tank shook him from his thoughts and he looked over to see a Russian M-2 Heavy Tank come rolling by. He got on his close-net radio and ordered them to halt. Sprinting the 20 feet to the tank Parker quickly ordered the driver to get him to the nearest platoon so he could find a radio. There was no room in the tank for Parker, so he had to sit on top of the hatch. It made for a pretty good target, especially considering that he had foolishly forgotten to remove the embroidered stars on his epilates.  
The tank rumbled on and Parker soon remembered what it was like to be in one of the giant mechanical tools of war. The tank was headed out into the woodland area to go help out a Japanese contingent of infantry that had radioed for help a moment ago because of Chinese armor pinning them down. Parker hoped they hadn't been overrun yet, because he needed their radio.  
  
===============  
  
Things were not going well for Ranma and Ryoga. The Chinese had broken the line of defense and were now savagely moving up the flanks and showing no signs of slowing. The two martial artists had broken rank and charged up the line to hopefully lend some assistance to the men that were being assaulted by the Chinese. When they caught up though, they weren't prepared for the heavy Chinese presence. Tanks and halftracks covered the Chinese infantry as they charged up the middle, taking out mortar teams and temporary medic camps.  
The sight of the Chinese shooting wounded and unarmed personnel set a deep fire in both men. Russian and American forces were assaulting the Chinese from the western corner of the area but the Chinese were moving unmolested through the northern portion of the lines.  
Ryoga gave Ranma a glance before charging towards the Chinese, his rifle now hanging from his shoulder. He readied a few grenades and let them go as he ran, lobbing one towards a Chinese heavy tank. The grenade bounced off the open hatch and fell inside. The heavy *whoomp* that followed was all the confirmation that Ryoga needed to know the soldiers were dead. The Chinese now took notice of Ryoga as he let fly with another grenade, and they all reached a very short consensus that he should be shot and killed.  
The Chinese soldiers dropped to a knee and fired at the fanged- soldier, which sent Ryoga scrambling for cover behind some trees. The sight of gunfire pelting the thick oak tree that Ryoga hid behind brought Ranma out of his daze and he slung his rifle round to his hands and opened fire on the Chinese soldiers. They were caught off guard and three men went down quick. The other soldiers scattered quickly as they assessed the new threat that was Ranma Saotome.  
Ryoga took the opportunity to move from behind his cover and flung his last grenade towards a Chinese halftrack. It landed near the armored vehicles tracks and detonated, ripping to shreds the left side of the vehicles tracks, demobilizing it.  
The Chinese were onto them now, and they split their remaining forces in two to face both men. Ranma was in the open and knew he had little chance to reach cover, so he performed the hand movements to invoke the Umisen-Ken, and slipped out of sight from the Chinese forces, leaving them baffled. Ryoga wasn't as lucky, and heavy fire was brought in on his position as he sprinted for cover. A heavy-explosive round exploded just a few feet from him, and the prevailing concussion sent him flying through the air. He quickly got control of his spin and fell to the ground without hurting himself. Bullets whizzed all around him and he had to duck behind a few trees again for cover.  
Ranma had not been idle during this, and it became evident when a Chinese Light Tank suddenly found a grenade bouncing down its hatch. The tank had a few rounds left inside, and the resounding explosion was enough to knock most of the Chinese infantry in the area off their feet. Ranma moved swiftly through the Chinese positions, his movements ghost-like, and nigh invisible to the human eye. His hands lashed out, snapping the necks and stealing the lives of the enemy that surrounded him. In a few moments half the Chinese force was reduced to nothing but dead bodies. The other half that had been attacking Ryoga noticed this and shifted fire to bring Ranma under attack, but he wasn't visible, so they began firing madly.  
Ryoga was out of grenades, and his rifle had fallen from his grasp when the tank shot had sent him flying through the air. His depression that had been built up over the past 5 years was suddenly brought to his mind as he let his body remember the techniques he had lost in his stay at the Chinese prison. A sickly green glow filled the area and the forest seemed to become illuminated all at once. Ryoga was at the center, his powerful arms slowly twisting and cultivating the ki that surrounded him. His hatred and sadness overwhelmed him and he let go of the power he had been holding in check.  
"Shi Shi Houkodan!"  
The enormous ball of ki shot into the air. American, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese forces alike stood dumbfounded as the ki erupted from the woods and filled out above it. It hung in the air for a moment, before it came slamming down into the woods with a force that had not been equaled that day. Trees were ripped from their roots and thrown through the air as if they couldn't have been heavier than a feather. The concussion that resulted was enough to rattle the bones of every soldier in Siberia. Those in the immediate vicinity were crushed to the Earth and had their breath stolen from them as the immeasurable force slammed down on them. The Chinese soldiers that had been the target of Ryoga's fury died as their breath was never returned to them.  
There was a long period of silence that followed Ryoga's attack. The soldiers that had been fighting each other to the death only moments ago stood in confusion as the intense pressure around them slowly faded.  
  
===============  
  
Parker had been tossed quite casually from the top of the Russian tank when the blast from Ryoga's attack reached them. He had heard Ryoga's cry even though he was over a kilometer away from where Ranma and Ryoga had attacked the Chinese. The tank he had been riding on stopped and the soldiers inside popped out of the hatch to look out at the woodlands that still had the eerie green glow about them.  
Parker got to his feet slowly, checking to make sure that he hadn't been injured in any way from his fall. He found himself shaking despite his best efforts. He had seen the power of Ryoga's Shi Shi Houkodan before, but what he had just seen surpassed anything he had ever seen. It was unlikely that anyone that had been near the man when he had let loose his fury would be alive or at least conscious when the heavy ball of ki came crashing down on them.  
Parker heard the Japanese platoon he had been heading for approach him and he grabbed the radioman. The fighting had all but stopped after Ryoga's blast, and it was the perfect opportunity for the second division to move in and stop the Chinese for good. He could only hope that the break from fighting would last long enough for Gogol and the other soldiers to get into position.  
  
===============  
  
Ranma had been lucky. He was about 40 feet away from Ryoga when he had unleashed his attack, and was therefore in a prime position to run like the wind when he realized that it was gonna be the mother of all Shi Shi Houkodans. He had gotten an extra 60 feet from the blast center when it finally impacted, and he was still thrown for a loop.  
After having the breath knocked out from him, Ranma was almost hit by several trees that had been uprooted and sent flying. It took him a few moments to get his breath back, but once he did he was running to where he suspected to find Ryoga.  
The Lost Boy was in the center of an enormous crater, his body shaking violently, but Ryoga had managed to keep his footing and was still standing. The sickly green aura that had been emanating from his body dissipated and he looked around briefly, taking in the surroundings. The sight of the crushed and mangled bodies of the Chinese soldiers was the first things he saw, and it nearly made him nauseous. Before he could keel over, he felt a familiar presence and found himself enveloped in someone's powerful arms.  
"Sheesh Ryoga, next time you decide to do that warn me," Ranma said chuckling next to Ryoga's head as he held him. Ryoga laughed as well, even though he felt like crying.  
Both men picked up on the fact that there was no more gunfire or the earth shaking sound of tanks firing.  
"Is it over?" Ryoga asked.  
Ranma set Ryoga gently down onto the ground. "Not yet man, but I can tell most everybody's pissed their pants. You scared the shit outta everyone."  
"Wasn't enough," Ryoga said remorsefully.  
"You did your share and then some Ryoga," Ranma said sternly. "All you have to do is rest now, I'll finish up."  
As Ranma stood, Ryoga's hand lashed out and gripped Ranma's arm.  
"Don't die on me Ranma," Ryoga pleaded.  
Ranma smirked, even though he was embarrassed. "Who do you think you're talking to huh? What are a few thousand Chinese soldiers when you've gone up against a flaming God or a son of a dragon?"  
Ryoga smiled back before exhaustion took him and he released his hold on Ranma's arm as he drifted into unconsciousness. Ranma gave his hand a squeeze before laying it down and getting to his feet.  
The sounds of battle began to ring out as Ranma made his way back out towards the battlefield. Ryoga had managed to take care of the Chinese that had broken through the defensive lines, so now the battle was once again raging out in front of the ridgeline. It hadn't been more than five minutes before the madness that was this battle soon broke out again.  
Sadness flooded Ranma's body, but it was soon replaced by an intense anger. If everyone was so intent on fighting to death over some insignificant piece of land than they could go right ahead, but Ranma was not going to let them take away his chance to get back to Akane and his daughter, or from bringing Ryoga back home to his family.  
Ranma's ki flared to life suddenly, and his intense aura suddenly expanded, his icy ki slowly forming around him. He emerged from the woods only to be greeted with a sight that would have made a lesser man feint. Soldiers were now fighting hand-to-hand, there knives ripping each other apart. Tanks rumbled over torn and fiery ground and crushed the corpses of those that had been killed or injured.  
Ranma was not aware but the air surrounding him had begun to swirl, and his ki was expanding around him. The anger that grew within him had reached its peek, and Ranma let loose with an anguished scream.  
The power of his voice carried across the battlefield, making men falter and stop in there attack. Much in the way Ryoga's attack made them stop fighting; Ranma's cry did the same.  
Ranma was truly a sight to behold. He was standing just out of the dense wood, the air around him an icy blue color that swirled around him. Men stood in awe of him as his angry eyes swept over the battlefield. Unbeknownst to the most of them, a Chinese soldier had recognized the Japanese uniform on Ranma and took aim. The crack of his rifle ripped across the battlefield like a thunderbolt, startling men from their revere. His shot was good, as he was only a good 100 yards from the martial artist, and the round struck Ranma in the chest.  
The shot was like a slap to the face of the other soldiers and they're intense fighting started again.  
Ranma fell to his knees as he brought a hand up to the wound on his chest. The shot had missed his heart, and his back was in such pain that he knew it had to of passed through his body cleanly. The pain echoed throughout his body and tears came to his eyes. His vision blurred and his hands dropped to his sides. He swooned once, but stayed on his knees. Everything was beginning to darken around Ranma, and he could feel a strange calm sweep over him. Akane's face appeared before him as the world began to darken, and he smiled as his arm raised, and his hand reaching so that he could touch her cheek. Before he could touch her, the image faded, and Ranma fell to the dirt, his arm outstretched before him. Darkness engulfed him as he closed his eyes.  
The battle raged on around him.  
  
===============  
  
Gogol leapt from the Humvee that had been carrying him and his platoon as soon as he was close enough to see the muzzle flashes of individual soldiers through the thick woods. He ordered his platoon to form up on him and then led them into the forest, towards the battlefield. Emerging from the trees gave everyone a sight that took their breaths away.  
Standing far against the defensive ridgeline was a figure surrounded by a dark blue aura. It seemed to be swirling around the man as his feet slowly lifted from the ground. It took a moment before Gogol realized that the figure was Saotome, Parker's friend.  
Ranma's intense ki seemed to sweep across the battlefield and capture the breaths of everyone in came into contact with. In moments the entire stretch of battle had been covered by the icy blue aura of the man that stood floating a few feet off the ground, his intense look peering deep into each soldier. In that moment Gogol felt his will for fighting seem to evaporate, and the heavy weight that was his guilt for the killing of so many men while fighting this war slammed down onto him. His rifle fell from his hands and dangled loosely by his shoulder.  
Beside Gogol other soldiers were doing the same. It was a moment before anyone was able to notice the Chinese soldier taking aim on Saotome.  
  
The shot seemed to echo deep into each man, much in the same way Ranma's look had, and that intensity that could only be felt while on the battlefield flooded their veins, as Saotome's aura faded and he drifted slowly to the ground. Rifles were picked up again and tanks resumed their terrible paths and earth-shaking fire.  
Unnoticed by everyone, Ranma slowly fell to the earth, his body motionless as men died around him.  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga felt his eyes open rather than he actually noticed they did. He was lying on his back, and looking up through the thick canopy of trees at a wonderfully clear sky. It might have been a peaceful moment had it not been for the stench of dead bodies. Around Ryoga were the corpses of many Chinese soldiers, their faces screwed permanently into a position of sadness and horror. The full impact of what had happened just the day before hit him and he was suddenly overcome with the urge to empty his stomach.  
He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic and glanced around him. There was a troubling calm about the whole area, and Ryoga began to wonder exactly what was missing to make him feel so worried.  
Getting to his feet proved to be a task in itself, as his body told him just how much he had overused it the other day. He struggled to push the pain away, his mind telling him that he had more important things to do. He used trees as support as he maneuvered his way outside of the thick forest.  
The battlefield looked remarkably different than it had the night before. During the night it had not been possible to see the actual extent of damage that was being dealt out by the weapons of war, but in daylight they became increasingly evident. There seemed to be not a single shred of earth that had not been ripped and torn by the battle the previous day. The sight of the large stacks of bodies was another thing that seemed to be clearer in daylight. The sheer volume of them made tears come to Ryoga's eyes. He stumbled and almost fell but a pair of arms caught him and held his steady.  
"Whoa there pal," a deep voice rumbled out in English.  
Ryoga looked up into the face of an American. He was one of the Green Berets that Parker had come in with.  
"You okay?" the American asked in English. Ryoga nodded his head, and the American smiled. "Alright, General Parker's giving all you Japanese soldiers a speech at the north end of the field, its important so ya better haul ass over there."  
Ryoga caught the gist of what the American soldier had said, and thanked him. He noticed the mass of men near the northern tip of the woodland and started over there. The other soldiers had apparently not been clearing bodies for very long, because Ryoga was forced to maneuver his steps around many dead bodies. It took him almost 20 minutes to reach the other Japanese soldiers.  
Ryoga looked around and spotted Parker standing atop a Russian tank addressing the crowd. He had to strain to here what he was saying.  
"-apan. You have done your country proud, and if there was any doubt that you were all soldiers than your actions have proved that sentiment wrong. Your skill in battle has stopped China from its tyrannical course, and set the enemy running."  
Parker seemed to become solemn for a moment.  
"Many of your friends were lost in battle last night, but they gave their lives so that you may live. You were forced into battle before by a madman, and you willingly went into battle again so that you could right the wrongs that had been committed. Every single man here has my most undying respect. I want you to go away from this battle, not with a heavy heart, but with your head held high. You are soldiers, the best I have ever had the honor of commanding. When you go back to your homes in Japan, let not anyone tell you otherwise."  
Parker's words were puffing the men up, even when it looked like each man was drained to their last ounce, both physically and emotionally. They were hanging onto his every word, and a few of them seemed to be fighting back tears. Parker seemed to sense this and smiled at them. His hand snapped up to his forehead in a salute and the Japanese returned it with a salute and a bow. They held it for a long moment.  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga found Parker talking to a Russian general once everyone had begun to filter out. As he approached Parker noticed him and smiled. He excused himself from the general and made his way over.  
"Well, if it isn't the man who single-handily stopped over 200,000 Chinese soldiers in their tracks," Parker proclaimed as he wrapped Ryoga up in a tight hug.  
"Huh?"  
Parker set Ryoga back on the ground and smiled. "Your blast last night stopped the Chinese long enough for me to get the second division into action."  
"Oh," Ryoga said, looking down at the ground. "I-I killed a lot of people last night."  
Parker saw the tortured look on Ryoga's face and sighed.  
"Ryoga, you did what you had to do last night. We all did. You stopped a lot of people from dying with what you did, and there isn't a man here today that would not want to shake your hand."  
Ryoga smiled. "Well, that might be nice, but right now I'd settle for seeing Ranma."  
Parker's face showed his confusion. "You mean you haven't seen him?"  
"Not since last night before I passed out. He said he was going to go finish up. I haven't seen him since."  
Ryoga's voice had become slightly strained as he said the last bit. Parker put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  
"Don't worry Ryoga, Ranma made it this far in the war without getting hurt I'm sure he wouldn't do it right at the end, that just isn't his style. Ranma Saotome walks between raindrops."  
Ryoga still wasn't convinced, and the feeling of dread that had crept up on him when he first awakened returned.  
"W-we have to go find him Phil," Ryoga said quickly. "We promised each other that we'd both get through this together."  
Parker nodded. "Alright, how's about you and me go do a quick look around?"  
"O-okay," Ryoga said. Both quickly started off, with the same feeling of uneasiness about the whole situation.  
===============  
  
Ryoga's nervousness seemed to get worse by the minute. If Ranma had escaped the battle unscathed then there would have been no reason for Ranma to not have come back for him. Thoughts of seeing Ranma's corpse in the same condition as the many other dead soldiers made him want to feint. Other soldiers had not proved to be helpful, as none of them knew what Ranma looked like, and they didn't seem entirely willing to want to go about and look for one soldier that may or may not be dead.  
He had made his way all the way back to the woodland where he had first emerged, and by then he was beginning to shake. Ryoga stopped and tried to sense Ranma rather than try to get a lucky break and see him, but there was no familiar presence near him so he decided to move on.  
Ryoga had gone maybe another 10 feet before he nearly stepped on Ranma's body.  
  
===============  
  
Parker had started in the opposite direction as Ryoga, and had about as much luck as the fanged-soldier at first. It wasn't till he bumped into Gogol that he realized he was searching in vain.  
"You wouldn't happen to have seen Ranma around here anywhere have you?" Parker asked as Gogol approached him. The sad look on the Russian's face did little to settle Parker's unease.  
Gogol relayed all that he had seen last night, including the Chinese soldier that shot Ranma in the chest. He shamefully admitted that he had not gone to check on the man afterwards.  
"The shot looked to be fatal, general. Even one as strong as Saotome could not have survived for very long."  
Parker was about to offer a rebuke when they heard Ryoga's voice break out over the dim.  
"Medic!"  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga looked down at his feet where the body lay. All doubts that it was Ranma were tossed aside as he noticed the long black pigtail just tucked inside of his helmet. He was afraid to even move, but after a long moment he finally knelt down, his hands reaching out hesitantly to touch Ranma gently on the arm. His hand moved up to his back, and he felt his hand run over the hole protruding from Ranma's back.  
Tears came to his eyes and Ryoga flipped Ranma over onto his back. The front of his tunic was soaked with blood, and the wound on his chest had seemed to have gone right through his heart. He must have bled every last drop of blood in him.  
"No," Ryoga whispered. He clutched Ranma's body to himself and began to weep. "Goddamnit you said you wouldn't die!" Sobs began to rack his body. "You said we'd go home together," he whimpered out.  
Without thinking he screamed out for a medic. When no one answered he called out again. There was the sound of someone huffing and puffing as they came running at a full-sprint towards him.  
An American Green Beret came charging up the ridge and pulled Ranma from Ryoga's arms. He placed his head to Ranma's chest when he failed to find a pulse in his neck and wrist.  
"His hearts still beating," the American medic said in English. He opened up a sash he carried with him and placed a dressing over the wound on Ranma's chest. He reached underneath Ranma and found the exit wound and similarly dressed that wound as well. He grabbed at a radio he carried on his back and called for a chopper to come pick him up.  
"Help me get him up," The medic ordered as he grabbed at Ranma's arms. Ryoga got to his feet and moved towards Ranma's legs. They hoisted him up and carried him down into the clearing where a chopper could safely land and pick them up. As they placed Ranma back on the ground Ryoga got a good look at Ranma's face. It looked pale beyond anything he had ever seen before. Even the bodies of the dead didn't seem as pale as Ranma.  
"Will he be alright?" Ryoga asked in broken English. The medic looked thoughtfully at Ranma for a moment before answering.  
"He's gonna need some surgery for sure, and a blood transfusion. If were lucky the chopper will be able to get us to a camp that's still in one piece and they'll be able to do some meatball surgery on him till we can get some transportation to a Russian hospital or maybe a cruiser out in the Pacific. If he can hold on till then he might just have a chance."  
Ryoga nodded his head at the medic's words. The first chance they got he was going to have them get the blood for a transfusion from him. Ranma would need a lot, but he was determined to give him all of his own if it meant he'd awaken again.  
The chopper appeared over the canopy of trees a few moments later, just as Ryoga heard someone approaching from behind them.  
"Is he alive?" Parker asked, out of breath. Ryoga nodded, unable to speak. As the chopper touched down Parker ran towards the pilot. The pilot was dumbfounded and quickly snapped a salute as Parker appeared beside him.  
"I want him to be taken to the closest thing that could be regarded as a hospital. Whatever other missions they had planned for you are effectively cancelled until he is in stable condition."  
"But sir," the pilot stuttered.  
"But nothing!" Parker flared. "He is to get the best attention and I don't give a flying fuck what anyone says at this point Lieutenant! If anyone gives you any trouble direct them to me, if they still don't get out of your way, I am giving you permission to shoot them."  
The pilot heard the iron in Parker's voice and decided that it would be in his best interest to do whatever the hell he said.  
"Y-yes sir," the pilot stammered and effected another salute but Parker was already walking away.  
===============  
  
President Winnfield took a long and deep breath as he sat down onto his chair in the Oval Office. The Joint Chiefs had just awoken him a half hour ago with the news that the Chinese had been defeated in Siberia, and were now in full retreat. The news had been the perfect way for him to start the day, though the next news delivered was not so pleasing.  
Satellites had only been able to discover 2 of the missing nuclear warheads, which left 1 missing. Winnfield could not order the immediate destruction of the 2 warheads without knowing where the last one was, for it would be the perfect incentive for Zhisheng to launch the last hidden missile at a target of his choosing.  
While continued surveillance of China was continuing, they had yet to discover where the last missile was hidden. With the defeat of the Chinese army in Siberia, Zhisheng would most likely order the launch of the missiles, but there was a chance that he wouldn't. That was the dilemma facing Winnfield. He could both order the immediate destruction of the other two warheads and have Zhisheng launch the third, or wait, and hope that the man showed some restraint and didn't launch any of them, thereby giving them time to find the last missile. The problem with that was he might launch all 3 missiles once he learned of his army's defeat.  
None of the options were safe in any manner, and the advice from his staff was not very helpful. He would have preferred to just send out a squadron of B-52 bombers and let them bomb the two missile sites and then have them go and take out Zhisheng in Beijing, but that would not go over very well with the world press or the UN.  
Winnfield laid his head down onto his desk and sighed. It was going to be a long day.  
  
===============  
  
Premier Zhisheng was not having a very good morning. He had been awoken early in the morning with the message that his invasion force had been defeated and captured in Siberia, and all remaining forces were on the retreat. He had ordered a meeting of his top advisors shortly thereafter.  
"Were you not the same men that promised me a simple victory not even 12 hours ago?!" Zhisheng bellowed as he slammed his fist down onto the large table. The men around the table cringed.  
"Sir, we did not factor into the equation that the Americans and Russians would use the Japanese prisoners they acquired before the Japanese defected," a PLA general explained.  
"Well the Russians certainly did!" Zhisheng shouted. "Even with those pitiful Japs how the hell could they have defeated our forces?"  
"It would seem sir," the same general started shakily, "that the enemy split itself into two halves and outflanked us as well as cut up the middle of our army, then encircled them. A few hours of fighting ensued and we looked to have the advantage, but Russian bombers arrived shortly before dawn and attacked. Our army surrendered not too long afterwards."  
Zhisheng visibly forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and then let it out.  
"So what options are available to us right now?" he asked.  
"Well sir, we do have the nuclear missiles that Japan was able to smuggle out to us before they exited the war."  
"And how am I to know that our enemy does not also have knowledge of this?!" Zhisheng demanded.  
"Even if they do know sir, it is very unlikely that they would know the positions of our missiles," an aide responded.  
"What targets are available to us?" Zhisheng asked, his demeanor calmer than before.  
"Most anywhere in Russia sir, as well as Japan. We can hit some targets on the American coastline and maybe a few states inland."  
"Alright," Zhisheng said. "We will launch our nuclear missiles, and we will deal a blow to our enemies that they will not soon forget."  
The men around the table readily agreed to the line of reasoning. Before anyone could go on though, the door of the room burst open and Zhisheng's personal secretary came running in.  
"I said that I was not to be disturbed!" Zhisheng admonished.  
"I apologize sir," the secretary bowed. "But this message just came in and it was of the utmost urgency."  
Zhisheng grabbed the paper from the secretary's hand and skimmed the document. By the third line he had paled clearly, and his hands were shaking. The document fell from his hands and Zhisheng feinted. One of the aides knelt down to retrieve the paper and read it.  
  
===============================================================  
Top Secret  
Eyes only Premier Zhisheng  
  
At around 0400 hours, the convey taking one of the warheads to its destination point in Bayankala Range, Qing Hai Province, was attacked. PLA soldiers were either captured or killed and nuclear technicians were captured. The warhead was taken as well, and the following message from the attackers provided.  
  
Dear Beijing;  
We are the Joketsuzoku. A tribe of Amazons that  
has little care over your policies and world-wide desires for world dominance. We have taken possession of this nuclear device and its engineers to stop your petty little game of world conquest. If you desire to continue this war, do so with the knowledge that we will launch this nuclear device with the aide of your technicians at Beijing, with the intention of killing you and your pitiful government. If you do not send surrender to the Russians and Americans in 24 hours of you acquiring this message, we will send your weapon back to you in a manner you shall find most unpleasant.  
  
Signed,  
Elder Kho Lon of the Joketsuzoku  
  
End of message  
  
===============  
  
Ranma felt his chest begin to send pain messages to his brain as soon as he awoke, which was odd, considering that he had been quite sure that you stopped feeling pain after you died. He opened his eyes to realize that he was not dead, and was in fact alive, though in a heck of a lot of pain.  
"Oh shit," Ranma moaned as the stitches sealing the wound on his chest and back stretched and pulled with every movement he made. He looked around and realized that he was in a hospital room, though it was quite dirty. His body shook again as another shot of pain lanced through him. "Ain't hospitals supposed to supply their patients with morphine?" Ranma asked the empty room, or what he thought was an empty room.  
"Normally yes, but this particular hospital ran out of morphine a couple of weeks ago," a voice answered in Japanese from across the room.  
Ranma spun around and looked to where the voice had come from, a move that was a mistake as his body protested quite loudly that it wasn't in any shape to do so. He fell back onto the bed he was on and nearly screamed out.  
"Careful Ranma, those stitches are only a couple hours old, and we don't need you ripping them," the person responded.  
"Who are you?" Ranma asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. The sound of footsteps sounded and they stopped just to the side of him. Ranma cracked his eyes open so he could get a look at who it was.  
"I'm hurt that'd you forget me," Ishii Inafune said with a smirk.  
"Ishii?" Ranma said in disbelief. "H-how the hell did you find out I was hear?"  
Ishii smiled and sat down on a nearby chair.  
"Parker got a call relayed to Kimura a couple hours after the doctors decided you were going to actually make it. Akane and Akari of course wanted to go, but since the Chinese surrender is still quite new and it was a worry that they may not decide to follow through with it, I opted to go instead, something that will no doubt earn me a few beatings by yours and Hibiki's wife."  
"It's good to see you," Ranma said. "Really good."  
Ishii smiled again. "Well, just as soon as the doctors decide that you won't kill yourself by trying to leave, Parker has arranged for a Navy plane to take you, me, Hibiki, and someone else back to Japan."  
"Someone else?" Ranma asked.  
"Just a sec, I think she was waiting outside," Ishii said as he got to his feet and walked out of the room. He came in a few moments later holding the hand of a small child. "Parker said that this little angel was going to be very interested in seeing you again."  
"Natalie," Ranma breathed softly. The child looked at Ranma shyly for a moment that released Ishii's hand and rushed towards Ranma's bed. She hopped up and latched herself onto Ranma's waist.  
"Now Ranma," Ishii began, "I'm not one to judge, but I can certainly say that Akane is not going to be happy when you bring home other children."  
Ranma was snapped out of his shock and laughed. "Well, not quite, but I'm sure she'll understand, I just hope she decides to hear me out before deciding to hit me all the way back to Russia."  
Ishii smiled. "Well, as soon as Hibiki regains consciousness, we'll be able to have a little talk about everything that has happened in the past 6 months."  
"What happened to Ryoga?" Ranma asked worriedly.  
"Oh, well when they brought you in here you needed a blood transfusion more than anything and before the docs could go scrounging for some Ryoga was rolling up his sleeve. You needed a bunch, and Ryoga has been a little out of it for the past little while."  
Ranma shook his head a few times and laughed. "I'm gonna give him a thorough talking to as soon as he wakes up. I didn't go through all that trouble just to have him kill himself for my behalf." Ishii laughed as well. "So where's Parker? I thought he'd be the first one to want to come back to Japan with us."  
"Oh don't worry, he'll be coming back, it's just that with the Chinese surrender he's got a little bit more work on his hands than he first thought he would."  
"I thought I heard you say the Chinese surrendered before," Ranma said as he reached down and picked Natalie up and brought her close to his chest. The small girl snuggled close to him and laid her head onto his chest. The pain that accompanied the movement was little consequence to him.  
"Oh trust me; it came as quite a shock to everyone else as well. You aren't going to believe why they surrendered either," Ishii said with a laugh. Ranma gave him a curious look. "I'll wait till Ryoga comes around; this is something I'll only be able to tell once without falling over laughing."  
  
===============  
  
Ryoga woke up much sooner than expected, and joined them all in Ranma's room where the two martial artists hugged each other as they both struggled to hold back tears. As soon as they both had calmed down Ishii related the story of why the Chinese surrendered, which resulted in both Ranma and Ryoga being reduced to tears once again, though this time from laughing. Ryoga took the story of what happened with Natalie at face value, and the little Russian girl took to Ryoga almost as fast as she had to Ranma. As it was, Ryoga was holding Natalie in his arms when the door to the room opened and two men walked in.  
"Good morning gentlemen," General Phillip Parker said with a smile as everyone in the room looked dumbly at him and the man he came in with. "Allow me to introduce the President of Russia."  
President Andropov laughed at the reactions of Ranma, Ryoga, and Ishii and shook hands with all of them.  
"When it came time for President Andropov to hear the story of how we beat the Chinese yesterday, it came about that there were two Japanese soldiers who were quite instrumental in the victory."  
Andropov then surprised Ranma and Ryoga by presenting them with medals. He said something to them in Russian and Parker translated.  
"You have my utmost respect for your actions in battle. Both of you are heroes to Russia, and we are forever in your debt."  
Andropov kissed each of them once on the cheek and then had Parker take a photograph of him pinning the medals to their chests. He left a little after that, leaving Parker to explain everything.  
"You two just received the highest medals for valor that the Russian army gives out, you should be damn proud," Parker explained. To his amusement both Ranma and Ryoga blushed. "Just so you know, I've had a talk with President Winnfield and he is going to personally pin the Distinguished Service Cross on both of you in a couple of weeks, and I'm sure that Kimura will have a little ceremony for the both of you once you arrive back in Japan. Congratulations, your both certifiable heroes."  
The news hit both martial artists hard and they sat in a dazed stupor for a long moment.  
  
===============  
  
The next morning Parker saw them both out to the Navy transport that would fly them to Japan. He gave everyone a hug, and in turn received a kiss from Natalie.  
"Don't you guys worry about taking Natalie either. President Andropov assured me that he would personally approve your adoption of her into the Saotome family."  
"Thank you for everything Phil," Ranma said. "We both owe you more than you can imagine." Ryoga nodded his agreement.  
"Aw hell you guys," Parker said with a smile. "I was just doing what I get paid to do. Now, when you two get home I want you both to try and stress to Akane and Akari that I didn't hold you up here any longer than needed."  
Ranma and Ryoga laughed hard.  
"Don't worry Phil," Ryoga said. "I'm sure that by the time you get back to Japan we'll have everything straightened out and it'll be safe for you to come over."  
"Good," Parker said. He gave them another smile and then saluted. The two returned it enthusiastically. Parker smiled again and then turned his back and walked out to a helicopter that was waiting to take him into China.  
Ranma and Ryoga turned to each other and sighed.  
"Well, it's been a hell of a ride but, were finally going home," Ranma said.  
Ryoga looked at the ground as he tried to fight the tears that threatened to spill.  
"Home," Ryoga mouthed, the word seeming like a dream as he said it.  
Ranma smiled and threw his arm over Ryoga's shoulder and they walked towards the plane that would carry them back to Japan.  
  
===============  
  
Author's Notes: Well, there it is the last chapter of Until the End. Don't scream. I'll have everybody come together in the epilogue, which I'll release in a week or so.  
I want to take this time to thank everybody that has stayed with this story and Balance of Power over the last 3 years. It's been an amazing time and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all those that read the story and offered me their praise and even their criticism. You have all been instrumental in shaping this story, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. 


	35. Epilogue

Until the End  
  
Epilogue  
  
Ranma glanced lazily out the open deck of the Saotome Dojo, the cool summer breeze wafting in and rustling his clothes. He released a contented sigh as the sounds of the front door being opened and closed rang out.  
  
"Were back!" a feminine voice called out. The sounds of footsteps carried down the hallway and stopped just outside the doorway. "Jeez, have you been sitting there since we left?"  
  
Ranma smirked back at Akane and lay back onto the floor.  
  
"Well, I did get up once to go grab a sandwich," Ranma replied. He quickly caught Akane's purse which she had thrown at him.   
  
"How did the shopping go?" Ranma asked casually, flipping himself back up to his feet so he could follow her into the kitchen. Akane began unloading all the groceries onto the table and smiled.  
  
"Kagome and Natalie got along like little thieves, and both proved that they could be a real handful when it comes to buying clothes," Akane explained. "Thanks again for not coming along."  
  
Ranma gave her a pat on the shoulder and let his hand dip down to cup her buttocks.  
  
"I'll make it up to you," he said with a coy grin,  
  
"Hmm," Akane moaned as she leaned back into him. "Did you have anything in mind?"  
  
Ranma opened his mouth to reply just as Kagome and Natalie came tearing down the hallway screeching and laughing.  
  
"No running you two!" Akane warned as she dashed out into the hall after them.  
  
It had taken a week or so, but Natalie took to Akane nearly as well as she had to Ranma, and Akane, being the person that she always had been, was already treating the Russian child as if she were her own. The fast friendship was between Kagome and Natalie was not lost on Ranma, as he could see Akane's general good nature shining through the child.   
  
It had been about 3 weeks since they had arrived from Siberia, and each day Ranma was reminding himself just how lucky he was to have survived that war, and to have also had Ryoga come through it as well. Once he had arrived back, Ranma had immediately attended the funeral for Kenji Yoshida, the sergeant from his platoon from when Japan had been fighting on China's side. Ryoga had attended to funeral as well, saying that he owed his life to the man as much as Ranma had.  
  
Being reunited with Akane and Kagome had been like a dream. He hadn't any idea just how much he had really missed the two until he saw them standing on the tarmac as the Navy plane touched down. They had all shared an embrace that seemingly lasted forever, and Ranma had wept openly to feel both of them in his arms again. Akari and Ryoga Jr had joined in the hug as well, as did Ishii once he had dragged Ryoga from the plane. Ryoga had been fidgeting all the way from halfway across the Sea of Japan, and he had nearly passed out when he saw Akari and his son waiting for him. Akane and Akari had just about feinted dead away when they saw Ryoga step off the plane, looking all the world like nothing was wrong with him. The hug that started then lasted even longer than the previous one.  
  
By the time they had gotten back to home, everyone had been pretty exhausted, but they all stayed up into the very wee hours of the morning regaling each other with stories about what had happened in the past 6 months. Ryoga had been quiet most of the time, seemingly pleased just to have his arm around Akari's shoulder. Ranma had confronted him right before they all were about to retire for the evening.  
  
"Why so quiet man?" Ranma had asked him.  
  
Ryoga had looked at Ranma for a long moment, his eyes calm even as they conveyed a deep sense of sadness.  
  
"Even on the plane over here I couldn't imagine that I was actually coming home Ranma," Ryoga had replied. "I had given up hope in the prison, and I wanted death to come to me, and now not even a month after that moment, I'm back in Japan, Akari with me, and you and Akane, and our children. Just thinking about what would have happened if you hadn't rescued me.."  
  
He had trailed off and Ranma quickly enveloped him in a hug.   
  
"You are home Ryoga, and you are never gonna leave again," Ranma whispered softly to him.  
  
Ryoga had wept then, for the first time since leaving the Chinese prison camp he wept openly and freely. Ranma had held him as closely as he could, making sure the man had all the support he needed.  
  
It had been a couple of minutes before Ryoga's tears had subsided, and by then Akari had crept up on them, and tapped Ranma on the shoulder, motioning for him to hand Ryoga over to her. Ranma had watched silently as she held Ryoga close whispering something into his ear.  
  
Ranma had gone to bed that night feeling more complete than he had in his entire life. He had held Akane close to him, breathing in deeply just so he could smell her and know that she was there. All it took was for Akane to say that she had missed him for Ranma to start crying, the full weight of everything that he had seen and done had came crashing down on him and he had wept.  
  
  
  
"We're back!" Akari called out as she closed the front door behind her, effectively snapping Ranma from his thoughts.  
  
He stepped out of the kitchen and smiled as Akari, holding the hand of Ryoga Jr, and Ryoga started down the hallway.  
  
"How'd it go?" he asked as he accepted a kiss on the cheek from Akari and picked Ryoga Jr up from the floor.  
  
"It was weird," Ryoga started, "seeing my name on the tombstone."  
  
"Well, now that we've got that unpleasant business out of the way, how about we all go out for a nice picnic and enjoy the weather?" Ranma asked as he handed Ryoga Jr off to Ryoga.  
  
"Best idea I've heard all day," Akari smiled.  
  
===================  
  
"Hey Akane! If you run any slower it'll be dark before we even get to the park!" Ranma taunted as he leapt from the rail he had been running on to run alongside his wife.  
  
Akane's eyes flashed for a moment and she got an evil smirk as she suddenly lurched forward. Ranma, thinking she was about to fall, leaned in to catch her, only to have his arm gripped by Akane, and then have her pivot, flipping him over her to send him crashing into a nearby tree.  
  
"Gee Ranma," Akane said in her sweetest voice, "If you don't mind I'm sure everyone would like to get to the park before sunset so if you could quit lying around."  
  
Ranma grumbled as he got to his feet. He turned around to see Ryoga and Akari trying to hold back their laughter as they walked by him.  
  
"Don't you laugh Ryoga, I'm betting that with what Akari knows she can send you flying too," Ranma warned as he rubbed his back.  
  
Ryoga looked down at the women holding his arm.   
  
"Really?" he asked Akari. She blushed brightly and nodded her head. "Well, maybe we can have a little sparing match later on."  
  
If it had been possible, Akari blushed even harder as she gripped Ryoga's arm tighter and pressed herself against him.  
  
"I-I'd like that," she said shyly. Her shyness made Ryoga blush and the two looked like they were 16 again with the way they were carrying on.  
  
"Oi, what's this? You two look like your going on your first date," Ranma commented as he strolled by. His comment elicited a growl from Ryoga as he blushed even further and he leapt at the pig-tailed martial artist.  
  
"You're dead Ranma!" Ryoga shouted as he chased after the laughing Ranma.  
  
Akari shook her head slightly even as she laughed at the way the two were carrying on. Deciding that she didn't want to get left behind Akari started after the two.  
  
=================  
  
The cool summer day had waned off into a beautiful dusk, and the Hibiki and Saotome families reclined on a pair of blankets they had brought with them. Ranma was curled up with Akane on one blanket with Kagome and Natalie sleeping off to the side, and Ryoga and Akari were right beside them with a sleeping Ryoga Jr between them.  
  
"What a perfect day," Akane sighed contently as she nuzzled her head into Ranma's chest.   
  
There was a moments silence as everyone took the time to gaze at the sun as it slowly dipped behind the downtown Tokyo skyline. The city seemed to be asleep from this distance, adding to the serenity of the moment. The view was breathtaking, even as the cool night air finally began to work its way into their clothes.  
  
"It's getting pretty cold," Ryoga commented as he pulled Akari closer to him, mindful of the sleeping child in between them. Akari smiled at him as she leaned in to kiss him.  
  
"We'll head back in a little," Ranma said, his hand slowing caressing Akane's hair. He smirked to himself when he felt Akane's arms grip him tighter to her.   
  
"This is the first time in a long time that we've all been able to go out together," Akane remarked.   
  
"And it most certainly won't be our last," Akari added as she brought her head down after kissing Ryoga.  
  
The others nodded at her words and a silence befell the group. Finally, Ranma slowly released his hold on Akane and looked over to Ryoga and Akari snuggled on their blanket. They both looked at him as he shifted closer, moving Akane into a sitting position. He extended his hand and smiled.  
  
"Friends forever," he said quietly. The others mimicked his motions and set their hands on top of one another.  
  
"Friends forever," they all echoed.   
  
=====================  
  
They arrived back at the Saotome Dojo just a little past one in the morning. They put the children to bed and began to move to their respective rooms. Ryoga stopped just outside of the room he and Akari shared.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Akari asked when she noticed he had stopped.  
  
"You go on ahead of me Akari, I'll be in a bit," he said softly as he let his hand run down her cheek.  
  
"Are you sure your alright?" Akari questioned. Ryoga nodded his head and leaned in to kiss her once on the lips.   
  
======================  
  
Ryoga had exited the house after bidding Akari goodnight, and hopped up onto the roof. He made his way to the tip of the roof, settling down to stare up at the night sky.   
  
He knew that there were things on his mind, things that were beginning to take their toll on him. He had gone nearly half a decade trapped in a prison, enduring beatings and emotional torture that had caused him to come to the decision that he was going to end his life. If it hadn't been for Ranma and Phil, he would be dead by now, never knowing the joys that he felt now, knowing that he had his Akari back, and now had a son.  
  
"It's never going to get easier will it?" Ryoga asked himself as the night sky neglected to answer him.  
  
"Maybe not easier, but the pain won't be as strong after awhile," Ranma answered from behind him, startling Ryoga. He saw the confused look in Ryoga's eyes. "Akari asked me to go find you, she didn't want you getting lost."  
  
Ryoga wasn't sure if he should be touched or insulted. He decided to go with touched, as he doubted that Akari would send Ranma out after him just to find out why he was acting strange.   
  
"It's tough isn't it?" Ranma intoned as he saw the pained look that had been on Ryoga's face return. "Dealing with everything that has happened."  
  
"My memories aren't going to let me forget what I've seen," Ryoga said, as much to himself as to Ranma.   
  
"You can't forget what you've been through Ryoga, but you can come to terms with it," Ranma replied sadly. He himself had been dealing with his own personal dragons that he had acquired since coming home from the newly ended war. It was tough, but he had taken Akane's advice and was beginning to open up about what he had seen and done. He could barely fathom what Ryoga had to be going through, but he knew that keeping it bottled up would cause more damage than it might heal.  
  
"I don't suppose I have much of a choice now do I?" Ryoga asked with a grin.   
  
"You'll always have a choice Ryoga," Ranma told. "But if you want to get better your going to have to do it."  
  
Ryoga sighed deeply and sank down against the roof. Ranma settled in beside him and looked up at the stars as he continued.  
  
"It might be a good idea to get some help with this you know. There are therapists that specialize in this stuff."  
  
A long period of silence set in between the two as Ranma waited for Ryoga to respond.  
  
"But I'm scared."  
  
The tone of Ryoga's voice tore at Ranma's heart more than he thought could have been possible and he quickly moved over and wrapped Ryoga up in a hug.  
  
"I'll be here for you Ryoga, we'll all be here, every last one of us," Ranma whispered as he felt Ryoga choke back a sob. He rocked Ryoga back and forth, much the way someone did to a new-born.  
  
"Thanks Ranma," Ryoga croaked out once he had gotten himself under control. "You have no idea how much I owe you for everything that you did for me."  
  
Ranma shook his head. "I only did what I had to do buddy, and it's nothing that you wouldn't have done for me if our places had been reversed."  
  
Ryoga smiled. "Well, it might have taken me a bit longer to find the camp but I suppose your right."  
  
The two shared a laugh as Akane's voice rang out.  
  
"Are you two finished up there cause if you are there are two girls that would really appreciate having a warm body to snuggle up to!"  
  
There was a moments silence as the two stared at each other before laughing again. Together they jumped down off the roof and made their way inside. Akane and Akari were waiting for them and smiled sweetly as they latched onto their men. Ranma bid Ryoga and Akari goodnight as he and Akane made their way up to their bedroom. Ryoga and Akari made their way to their room, stopping off to look into Ryoga Jr's room.  
  
"Are you feeling better now?" Akari asked.  
  
Ryoga nodded as he pulled her to his chest and held her close.  
  
"I'm better than I've ever been."  
  
====================  
  
Author's Notes: Well, here it is, the culmination of 3 years work. To all my reader's out there I want to thank you once again for your continued support.  
  
This has been a different story than "Balance of Power" which was more about telling the main story, and often drifted away from our central characters. I'd like to think that Until the End has instead been about the relationship between men in arms, more so in the case of the friendship between Ranma and Ryoga.  
  
I am effectively ending this series with the release of this epilogue, and I do not have any future fan fiction projects in my mind, so you all may not hear from me in awhile. But don't think that this is goodbye, as I have become engrossed in reading the manga of Inu Yasha and as it's at about volume 36 I can imagine that it's nearing its end, and depending on how Takahashi decides to end it I may just decide to write a piece about that. 


End file.
